HLC 2023

Fairmont State University is excited about the upcoming on-site visit by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) in April 2023. During that time, a team of peer reviews will visit with multiple areas of the University to verify that Fairmont State is continuing to meet HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation. This part of HLC’s Comprehensive Evaluation of Fairmont State is the one of the culminating features of the 10-year cycle of accreditation review. To assist the campus community in preparing for the visit, the following resources are available and will be updated throughout the next year.

Learn more about HLC Peer Review Visits on the Comprehensive Evaluation Visit page of the HLC Website.

Criterion Committees Criteria for Accreditation 

Whether you are a student, faculty, or staff, there are multiple ways you can assist the University as it prepares for its Comprehensive Evaluation by HLC. Stay engaged throughout the year, and check this website, your Fairmont State email, and the Falcon Flyer for important information related to accreditation. Read the Assurance Argument, attend open forums during the peer review site visit, and reach out anytime you have a question. IESO will work to demystify many parts of accreditation throughout the year with professional development and ongoing communications. If you have any questions about the Comprehensive Evaluation, reach out to Dr. Richard Harvey.

There are multiple components of the Comprehensive Evaluation, including a wide-ranging assurance argument, a Federal compliance review filing, a student opinion survey, and an on-site visit. These parts of the Comprehensive Evaluation will occur throughout 2021 and 2022. Learn more about HLC's Comprehensive Evaluation practices on their site.

An Assurance Argument is Fairmont State’s opportunity to provide HLC with substantive documentation and narratives demonstrating how the University meets the Criteria for Accreditation. Through its Assurance Argument, Fairmont State tells the story of how we have improved over the last decade and continue to improve into the 2020s and beyond.

To build its Assurance Argument, Criterion Committees comprised of faculty, staff, and students from across the University community have been formed to develop responses and evidence appropriate for addressing each of HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation. Each committee sets its own workflow and agendas for accomplishing its charge. 

A peer review visit is meant to verify that facts, documents, and claims presented in Fairmont State’s Assurance Argument are true. During the visit, a small group of outside evaluators chosen by HLC will physically and/or virtually visit with stakeholders across the University to validate the Assurance Argument and learn more about how Fairmont State is attempting to meet HLC’s criteria.