HLC ACCREDITATION ASSURANCE

HLC ACCREDITATION ASSURANCE

WHAT IS THE HIGHER LEARNING COMMISSION? The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region, which includes Oklahoma and 18 other states.

HLC’s FIVE CRITERIA FOR ACCREDITATION

STUDENT SUCCESS IS THE REASON TCC EXISTS.

1

MISSION

2

INTEGRITY: ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT

3

TEACHING AND LEARNING: QUALITY, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT

4

TEACHING AND LEARNING: EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT

5

RESOURCES, PLANNING, AND INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Is TCC’s mission clear and does it guide all college operations?

Does TCC act with integrity and operate in an ethical and responsible way?

Does TCC provide a high-quality education at all locations and in all environments and settings?

Is TCC committed to effective assessment and continuous improvement for programs and services?

Does TCC have sufficient resources, processes, and structures to sustain current and future needs?

For more information about HLC, visit: HLCommission.org

OPEN PATHWAY 10-YEAR ACCREDITATION CYCLE YEARS 1-3: Prepare Assurance Filing • The institution gathers documents for their Evidence File and writes Assurance Argument.

YEAR 4: Assurance Review (no site visit) • The institution submits an Assurance Argument with a team of HLC peer reviewers conducting an evaluation without a site visit.

• TCC’s Year 4 review was waived for this cycle, as HLC was transitioning to this new model of accreditation during that year.

YEARS 5-9: Complete Quality Initiative / Prepare For Comprehensive Evaluation Quality Initiative: • The College completes a Quality Initiative designed to suit its present concerns or aspirations.

• TCC is fulfilling the Quality Initiative requirement for this cycle by completing a project in HLC’s Academy for Persistence and Completion that focuses on a new entry-level placement process for students.

Prepare for Comprehensive Evaluation: • The institution gathers documents for the Evidence File, completes the Federal Compliance documents, and writes the Assurance Argument.

YEAR 10: Assurance Review and Comprehensive Evaluation (with site visit) • HLC conducts a comprehensive evaluation, including a Federal Compliance Review, a Student Opinion Survey, and a site visit, to confirm that the institution continues to meet the Criteria for Accreditation, is pursuing institutional improvement, and complies with requirements set by the U.S. Department of Education.

• TCC’s site visit is scheduled for September 24-25, 2018 and will involve the peer reviewers interviewing various stakeholders at the institution.

EXCELLENCE DRIVES US.

HLC ACCREDITATION KEY FACTS HLC SITE VISIT A team of HLC Peer Reviewers will be at TCC to conduct the comprehensive evaluation on September 24-25, 2018.

ALL COLLEGE FACULTY AND STAFF ARE PART OF THE PROCESS This process is all about teamwork. Communication and requests for feedback will take place throughout the 2017-2018 academic year.

ACCREDITATION IS REQUIRED FOR FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID AND TRANSFER 42% of TCC students utilize federal financial aid and Oklahoma universities require regional accreditation for transfer credit.

ACCREDITATION DECISION ANNOUNCEMENT TCC will receive its accreditation determination in Spring 2019.

LAUNCH OF THE TCC HLC WEBSITE TCC’s HLC website provides information about the commission and the entire accreditation process.

TulsaCC.edu/HLC

STEWARDSHIP GUIDES OUR DAILY DECISION-MAKING.

TCC MISSION Tulsa Community College betters its community through the intellectual achievement, creative energy, and responsible citizenship of its students, faculty, and staff by their engagement in teaching, learning, and service opportunities that transform and enrich lives. Tulsa Community College commits to innovative, flexible, and affordable public higher education that responds to a dynamic global environment.

OUR VISION TCC will excel as an inclusive, engaged center of life-long learning that transforms the world by empowering learners intellectually, culturally, economically, and socially.

Learning - for students, faculty, staff, and community members - comprises the heart of our institutional mission, and our core values ensure the primacy of learning. An aspiration without end, learning must be undertaken with passion, tended with reason, and shared with integrity. A collaborative endeavor, learning reveals the possibilities of our world, thus making our lives more meaningful and more productive.

OUR CORE VALUES As an educational institution charged with providing lifelong learning opportunities for its students and its community, Tulsa Community College identifies INTEGRITY and QUALITY as the cornerstones upon which all other values rest - shaping both priorities and decision making throughout the institution.

STUDENT SUCCESS is the reason TCC exists.

EXCELLENCE drives us.

STEWARDSHIP guides our daily decision-making.

INNOVATION sparks our creativity.

DIVERSITY is our common bond.

INNOVATION SPARKS OUR CREATIVITY.

2016-2020 STRATEGIC PLAN TCC’s five-year Strategic Plan guides the College as we transform and enrich the lives of our students, empower the future leaders of our region and strengthen Tulsa’s economic development.

Connecting all of our efforts is this core principle: At TCC…We All Impact Student Success.

Learning Effectiveness and Student Success Goal One: Academic Quality Ensure quality instruction and academic support Goal Two: Student-Centered Services Enhance student-centered services and processes Organizational Development and Accountability Goal Three: Performance-Based Culture Advance a performance-based culture built on data-informed decisions and continuous improvement Goal Four: Employee Development Strengthen employee diversity, training, accountability, and compensation Goal Five: Resources Ensure financial, physical, and technological resources are adequate to support educational programs Community Engagement Goal Six: Community Partnerships Optimize community partnerships and outreach

DIVERSITY IS OUR COMMON BOND.

Goal Seven: Marketing Enhance marketing and communication of programs and services Tulsa Community College is committed to establishing an environment for its students and employees that fosters inclusion, values equity and diversity, embraces and respects the dignity of people, and provides equal educational and employment opportunity. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable discrimination law in its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid and educational programs, activities, or services.

The Title IX Coordinator, 6111 East Skelly Drive Room 627, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Phone 918-595-7842; email: TCCTitleIX@tulsacc.edu has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies.

This publication, printed by QuikPrint, is issued by Tulsa Community College as authorized by Title 70 O.S. 4413. 125 copies have been prepared and distributed at a cost of $639.11.

2018 HLC Assurance Committee Connect with us!

The HLC Assurance Committee encourages dialogue and suggestions about the accreditation process.

Accreditation Liaison Officer: Dr. Kevin David Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness & Provost West Campus kevin.david@tulsacc.edu 918.595.8100

HLC Assurance Committee Chairs: Dr. Lisa Gerow Associate Professor, Nursing Metro Campus lisa.gerow@tulsacc.edu 918.595.7202

Paula Settoon Dean of Libraries & Knowledge Management Metro Campus paula.settoon@tulsacc.edu 918.595.7461

Committee: Debbie Batson, Ashley Bishop, Heather Hancock, Dr. Jenn Ivie, Jona Schweinberg, Kari Shults, Dr. Angela Sivadon, Cheryl Stanley

HLC Site Visit September 24-25, 2018

TulsaCC.edu/HLC