Accreditation Overview

HLC Accreditation

Phoenix College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the college's next reaffirmation of accreditation (also called a Comprehensive Evaluation) is scheduled for 2025-26. At that time, PC will be required to submit an Assurance Argument, a Federal Compliance Report, and will host a site visit by the HLC so that they can comprehensively review our institution's programs, policies, and processes.

What is the purpose of accreditation?

Comprehensive Evaluations, such as the one we are currently preparing for, have two main purposes:

Continuous improvement of college processes and policies.
Compliance with federal educational regulations.

Continuous Improvement

Our institution has collected thousands of pages of documentation regarding the work we do to support students throughout their academic careers at Phoenix College. This documentation has been used to demonstrate to HLC that we comply with their criteria for accreditation. More importantly, though, it provides us at the college an opportunity to critically and holistically review the work that we do here.

This periodic review of the college is important to ensure that we are properly aligning our mission, strategic plan, and the operations of all parts of the college in order to best serve students. It's a chance to take stock of the excellent work that we do every day, but also to identify areas of potential growth and improvement.

Compliance

The United States Department of Education (USDE) relies on accrediting agencies such as the HLC for quality assurance of colleges and universities. In this way Phoenix College is no different than Arizona State University, Stanford University, or Harvard University. All are subject to the same USDE accreditation requirements. The USDE relies on this process to ensure federal student aid funds are used toward quality educational courses and programs.

Institutions such as Phoenix College, which are accredited by a USDE-recognized accrediting agency, gain the following benefits:

Students attending PC can receive federal financial assistance for their education.
Credits earned at PC can be transferred to other institutions of higher education.
Confirmation of the rigor and quality of the education that students receive at PC.

Criteria for Accreditation

The Criteria for Accreditation are the standards of quality by which the HLC determines whether an institution merits accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation. Each criterion is made up of several Core Components and Subcomponents. In order to receive reaffirmation of accreditation an institution must write an Assurance Argument in which it demonstrates specifically how it meets the standard described for each Criteria and Core Component. The five Criteria for Accreditation are as follows:

Criterion 1. Mission

The institution’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations.

Core Components

1.A. Mission Alignment: The institution’s educational programs, enrollment profile and scope of operations align with its publicly articulated mission.
1.B. Mission and Public Good: The institution’s operation of the academic enterprise demonstrates its commitment to serving the public good.
1.C. Mission and Diversity of Society: The institution provides opportunities for civic engagement in a diverse, multicultural society and globally connected world, as appropriate within its mission and for the constituencies it serves.

Criterion 2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct

In fulfilling its mission, the institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.

Core Components

2.A. Integrity: Actions taken by the institution’s governing board, administration, faculty and staff demonstrate adherence to established policies and procedures.
2.B. Transparency: The institution presents itself accurately and completely to students and the public with respect to its educational programs and any claims it makes related to the educational experience.
2.C. Board Governance: In discharging its fiduciary duties, the institution’s governing board is free from undue external influence and empowered to act in the best interests of the institution, including the students it serves.
2.D. Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression: The institution supports academic freedom and freedom of expression in the pursuit of knowledge as integral to high-quality teaching, learning and research.
2.E. Knowledge Acquisition, Discovery and Application: The institution adheres to policies and procedures that ensure responsible acquisition, discovery and application of knowledge.

Criterion 3. Teaching and Learning for Student Success

The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments and support services, and it evaluates their effectiveness in fulfilling its mission. The rigor and quality of each educational program is consistent regardless of modality, location or other differentiating factors.

Core Components

3.A. Educational Programs: The institution maintains learning goals and outcomes that reflect a level of rigor commensurate with college-level work, including by program level and the content of each of its educational programs.
3.B. Exercise of Intellectual Inquiry: The institution’s educational programs engage students in collecting, analyzing and communicating information; in practicing modes of intellectual inquiry or creative work; and in developing skills adaptable to changing environments.
3.C. Sufficiency of Faculty and Staff: The institution has the faculty and staff needed for effective, high-quality programs and student services.
3.D. Support for Student Learning and Resources for Teaching: The institution provides student support services that address the needs of its student populations, as well as the teaching resources and infrastructure necessary for student success.
3.E. Assessment of Student Learning: The institution improves the quality of educational programs based on its assessment of student learning.
3.F. Program Review: The institution improves its curriculum based on periodic program review.
3.G. Student Success Outcomes: The institution’s student success outcomes demonstrate continuous improvement, taking into account the student populations it serves and benchmarks that reference peer institutions.

Criterion 4. Sustainability: Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning

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.

Core Components

4.A. Effective Administrative Structures: The institution’s administrative structures are effective and facilitate collaborative processes such as shared governance; data-informed decision making; and engagement with internal and external constituencies as appropriate.
4.B. Resource Base and Sustainability: The institution’s financial and personnel resources effectively support its current operations. The institution’s financial management balances short-term needs with long-term commitments and ensures its ongoing sustainability.
4.C. Planning for Quality Improvement: The institution engages in systematic strategic planning for quality improvement. It relies on data, integrating its insights rom enrollment forecasts, financial capacity, student learning assessment, institutional operations and the external environment.

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