Institutional accreditation is a public way of demonstrating the quality of a Miami education, along with showing our adherence to federal regulations. Accreditation shows the public that the university is acting in good faith to serve the public by providing a quality education.
Only accredited institutions are eligible to receive federal funds for higher education, including student financial aid and research funding. Accreditation helps to ensure that a student’s transfer credits will be accepted by another accredited school. Some graduate schools or programs only accept students with degrees from accredited schools.
When was Miami first accredited by the Higher Learning Commission?
Miami was first accredited in 1913.
What’s the process of, and timeline for, accreditation?
Miami follows the Open Pathway approach to accreditation which follows a ten-year cycle. The pathway culminates in a comprehensive evaluation that includes a two-day review team visit. Miami’s next comprehensive evaluation occurs in September 2025. The next comprehensive evaluation will occur in 2035-2036.
Who oversees our accreditation process?
Miami’s accreditation process is coordinated by an associate provost and the Assessment and Planning Council. All materials submitted to HLC are carefully vetted by hundreds of faculty and staff.
Is the HLC accreditation process the same as Miami’s assessment process?
The two processes are related but distinct. The accreditation criteria include as one component assessment of student learning and assessment of academic support units. The accreditation evaluation, however, encompasses many other criteria and core components focusing on a wide range of university operations, including shared governance, sustainability, human resources, and organizational structure.
What’s the difference between HLC accreditation and accreditation of particular programs?
Institutional accreditation reflects the overall quality of the whole institution without making judgments about any specific programs.
The accreditation of individual programs, such as those preparing students to practice a profession (e.g., teacher education, social work, nursing, etc.), is carried out by specialized or program accrediting bodies that apply specific standards for curriculum and course content.
When will we know the findings of the review team?
The review team will communicate preliminary findings to the president at the conclusion of the review team visit. A formal team report will be submitted to the university approximately one month after the visit.
What happens if the review team identifies concerns during their evaluation?
The team may offer concerns in a variety of ways:
Oral input to leaders during the visit which may or may not actually rise to a level necessary for inclusion in the team report;
Insights on areas for improvement in the narrative of the team report which may not rise to a formal concern;
Formal concerns listed in the report which will need to be addressed prior to the next evaluation. The team may recommend that we submit an interim report that describes how we have addressed the concern. The team may also recommend a focused visit which is an evaluation that specifically focuses on the area(s) of concern.
