The Higher Learning Commission evaluates WVU according to five criteria:
- Mission: The institution’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations.
- Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct: The institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.
- Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support: The institution provides high quality education, wherever and however its offerings are delivered.
- Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement: The institution 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.
- Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness: The institution’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.
Each criterion includes core components, which identify areas of focus within the criterion. Sub-components further elaborate some core components. You can see each criterion’s components by visiting the HLC’s website or by using the top link in the sidebar on the right.
Federal Compliance
As a federally recognized accreditor, the HLC is required to assure the federal government that WVU meets its Title IV program responsibilities. WVU must provide evidence for its compliance with regulations on:
- Credits, program length, and tuition
- Student complaints
- Transfer policies
- Verification of student identity
- Title IV program and related responsibilities
- Institutional disclosures and advertising recruitment materials
- Student outcome data
- Relationships with other accrediting agencies and with state regulatory bodies
- Public notification of the comprehensive evaluation visit and third party comment