Augustana College announced recently that it has earned reaffirmation of its accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission after an intensive review process.
The reaffirmation, approved Wednesday, Jan. 28, extends Augustana’s accreditation through 2035. Based on a multi-stage evaluation process concluded last fall, the commission’s action confirms that Augustana meets rigorous standards for academic quality, institutional effectiveness and ethical leadership, reinforcing its focus on student success and engaged learning.
“This outcome affirms our values in action – academic excellence, integrity and an unwavering commitment to our students,” Dianna Shandy, Augustana’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, said in a Thursday, Jeb. 12, news release. “It reflects the strength of our learning environment and the shared responsibility we embrace across the college.”
The Higher Learning Commission is a leading accreditor. It has decades of experience working with colleges and universities to achieve the shared goal of quality education for all. HLC membership spans more than 930 higher education institutions throughout the world.
As part of the evaluation, a team of five peer reviewers visited campus in November hosting open forums and evaluating evidence related to mission, integrity, ethical and responsible conduct, institutional effectiveness, sustainability, resources and planning. Their findings are published in a 50-page document They concluded that Augustana met all criteria for reaffirmation with no monitoring requirements.
“This result reflects the collective work of our faculty, staff and leadership,” Ms. Shandy added. Augustana President Andrea Talentino said the outcome underscores the college’s effectiveness in advancing its mission.
“Accreditation offers an opportunity to examine how well an institution is fulfilling its mission and supporting student outcomes,” she said. “Receiving reaffirmation with no recommendations for follow-up monitoring is uncommon and speaks to the quality of work happening across our campus.”
