University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in a series of sessions as part of the process for the university to gain reaccreditation.

A nine-member team from the Higher Learning Commission will visit campus Oct. 24 and 25 as part of the university’s 10-year reaccreditation process. The group, consisting of administrators from the Big Ten and other peer universities, will review Nebraska’s ongoing ability to meet its Criteria for Accreditation.

All of the sessions will be in the Nebraska Union. Those interested in attending a session may RSVP here.

The criteria sessions are Oct. 24. The schedule and a description of each criterion include:

• Criterion 1: Mission, 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., Regency A – The university’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations.

• Criterion 2: Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct, 1:15 to 2 p.m., Regency B/C – The university acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.

• Criterion 3: Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources and Support, 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., Regency B/C – The university provides high-quality education, wherever and however its offerings are delivered.

• Criterion 4: Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement (Assessment), 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Oct. 24, Regency B/C – The university demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments and support services, and it evaluates their effectiveness for student learning through processes designed to promote continuous improvement.

• Criterion 5: Resources, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, 2:15 to 3:15 p.m., Regency A – The university’s resources, structures and processes are sufficient to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its educational offerings and respond to future challenges and opportunities. The institution plans for the future.

The schedule for general open sessions is:

• Student open session, 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Oct. 24, Regency A

• Faculty open session, 9 to 9:45 a.m. Oct. 25, Regency B/C

• Staff open session, 9 to 9:45 a.m. Oct. 25, Regency A

There has been broad participation by various university groups in the reaccreditation process since 2014. In early 2015, about 80 faculty, staff and students began drafting the Assurance Argument – a written report that demonstrates how the university is meeting the commission’s accreditation criteria. The document addresses the university’s work in its mission, ethical conduct, teaching and learning practices, and institutional resources and planning.

Various university groups also have provided feedback on the university’s submission and attended campus conversations to learn more about key themes of the argument. In April, students gave input to the commission via an online survey and the public was invited to provide comments directly to the commission from July to September.

The reviewers have examined the university’s federal compliance filing as well as the Quality Initiative and the Assurance Argument, and have looked at internal documents such as college strategic plans, the university’s mission statement, the State of the University address and annual reports in preparation for their visit.

The University of Nebraska, the state’s only public, research-intensive land-grant university, is a member of the HLC. The commission accredits degree-granting post-secondary education institutions in the North Central region. The university has enjoyed accreditation since 1913 and was last accredited for a 10-year term in 2006.

For more information on the reaccreditation process, click here.