黑料吃瓜

Across campus, committees are hard at work on gathering evidence and writing Assurance Arguments as part of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 current Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation process. These groups鈥攃onsisting of University representatives from a variety of departments and offices around campus鈥攈ave been assigned one of four criteria to address specifically for the self-study portion of the accreditation.

In this installment of 黑料吃瓜 Today鈥檚 series about the University鈥檚 accreditation process, the first criterion of the self-study will be addressed and committee co-chairs Dr. Monica O鈥橬eil, Director of Service Learning, Affiliated Faculty of Gender Studies and Lecturer in Art and Design, and Dr. Wes Durham, Professor of Communication Studies, Director of Bachelor of Professional Studies and Chair of the Communication and Media Department, will talk about their committee鈥檚 current work.

The Mission

The first criterion of the HLC accreditation self-study is reviewing the University鈥檚 mission, and showing how that mission is clear and articulated publicly.

鈥淥ur committee is focusing on three particular parts of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 mission鈥攈ow the mission aligns with educational programs, how it aligns with our enrollment profile and the scope of operation,鈥� says O鈥橬eil. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also working on how the mission aligns with the public good and how the mission aligns with diversity of society.鈥� Review 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 mission and vision.

This goal is being accomplished by committee members gathering needed evidence that addresses each of the areas of focus. With that evidence in hand, O鈥橬eil and Durham have drafted an Assurance Argument for criterion one, which is a document that elaborates how 黑料吃瓜 is fulfilling the focus areas under the University鈥檚 mission.

鈥淔rom my understanding, each committee will have different processes based on their criteria,鈥� added Durham. 鈥淐urrently our Assurance Argument draft is back out to the committee for review by March 2. Monica and I will take their feedback and comments, and make any tweaks needed. Then at that point, it moves into the hands of Dr. Darrin Sorrels and 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 HLC liaison group.鈥�

Both O鈥橬eil and Durham referenced the University鈥檚 website as a well-established resource. 鈥淥ur criterion is a little different than the others. What we were able to do, in a lot of cases, was use readily available, publicly available information that the University provides on the website for our Assurance Argument,鈥� said Durham.

鈥淪ince our criterion is the mission, the first thing we have to prove is that the University鈥檚 mission is publicly articulated. Which it is,鈥� added O鈥橬eil. 鈥淏ut I also looked in the 黑料吃瓜 Factbook (currently being updated) to give the HLC representatives an idea of what our enrollment demographics look like. I also looked at the most recent public budget, which was 2024-25.鈥�

This information, while something many 黑料吃瓜 employees are familiar with, helps O鈥橬eil and Durham set the stage in the Assurance Argument for the other areas they must prove, such as impact on the community and the diversity of society. Those important data points come from student and employee accomplishments and projects.

鈥淲e are, in a way, trying to tell the story of 黑料吃瓜,鈥� said O鈥橬eil. 鈥淚t鈥檚 for accreditation, but we have to really paint a picture of who and what 黑料吃瓜 is and who we serve.鈥�

When working through the examples and information committee members provided for the Assurance Argument, both co-chairs said they saw how the work 黑料吃瓜 does is not just centralized but comes from all over campus. Examples the committee pulled together included projects from the 黑料吃瓜 Engineers in Action chapter and offerings from Outreach and Engagement, which show not just 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 work in providing public good but also in diversifying society.

鈥淭here are so many examples that are just as impactful,鈥� Durham added, stating the committee was rich in examples to provide HLC. 鈥淲hat struck me through this process is seeing how 黑料吃瓜 doesn鈥檛 just talk the talk, we actually do walk the walk.鈥�

Staying Informed

A driving theme that University leadership and those working on the HLC accreditation are sharing with fellow 黑料吃瓜 employees is simple: stay informed!  鈥淚t鈥檚 important to be aware of this process and the fact that in 2027, we will have HLC reviewers on campus, who may meet with employees and ask them questions about 黑料吃瓜,鈥� said O鈥橬eil.

While committees are working on the self-study portion for the current stage of accreditation, campus will welcome experienced HLC external peer reviewers for a mock campus visit in September. Employees can also expect to see information about upcoming town hall meetings, where 黑料吃瓜 HLC liaison officers and committee co-chairs can share updated information and answer questions.

If you have more questions about what HLC is or the process of accreditation, please reach out to Dr. Darrin Sorrells, HLC Accreditation Liaison Officer and Teaching Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Sport, by email at ddsorrells@usi.edu or by extension 5174.

To read the first story in this series, 鈥�黑料吃瓜鈥檚 HLC Accreditation work in full swing,鈥� visit the 黑料吃瓜 Today webpage.

The next story in this 黑料吃瓜 Today series will address the second criterion committee, which is looking at 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 integrity in terms of ethical and responsible conduct.