CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (October 28, 2024) — Nineteen colleges and universities will work to boost student learning and engagement on their campuses with new skills attained over the last four years in the Higher Learning Commission’s Assessment Academy.
HLC’s Assessment Academy has been a leader for nearly twenty years in training colleges and universities how to use assessment tools that can bolster student learning. Teams from the nineteen institutions, which are located around the country, graduated from the Academy on October 17.
The new graduates include:
- Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Central New Mexico Community College, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- College for Financial Planning Inc, Centennial, Colorado
- Dakota College, Bottineau, North Dakota
- Danville Area Community College, Danville, Illinois
- Divine Word College, Epworth, Iowa
- Eastern Iowa Community College District, Davenport, Iowa
- Fontbonne University, St Louis, Missouri
- Estrella Mountain Community College, Avondale, Arizona
- Metropolitan Community College, Kansas City, Missouri
- North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota
- Pratt Community College, Pratt, Kansas
- Rock Valley College, Rockford, Illinois
- Southeast Technical College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, Logan, West Virginia
- Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Fennimore, Wisconsin
- St. Cloud Technical and Community College, St Cloud, Minnesota
- University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
- University of the Ozarks, Clarksville, Arkansas
Through the Academy, each team learned to identify best practices and techniques for assessing student learning, how to engage their communities in the student learning assessment process, and how to build a culture and commitment to using assessment as a means for improving student learning over the long term.
Each of the graduates also developed projects tailored to address the most immediate needs around student learning on their campuses. For example, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College and North Dakota State University focused on faculty-engagement and -development; Dakota College of Bottineau and Central New Mexico Community College concentrated on aligning learning with outcomes; Metropolitan Community College and Rock Valley College worked on simplifying and streamlining data collection; and University of the Ozarks and Eastern Iowa Community College District implemented assessment practices across programs.
“This was one of our largest and most diverse classes to graduate from the Assessment Academy, and we look forward to the strides these graduates are making toward continuous improvement through assessment,” said Barbara Gellman-Danley, president of HLC.
To learn more about HLC’s Assessment Academy, visit: hlcommission.org/assessment-academy
About the Higher Learning Commission
The Higher Learning Commission accredits approximately 1,000 colleges and universities in the United States. HLC is a private, nonprofit accrediting agency. It is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Questions? Contact info@hlcommission.org or call 312.263.0456.
