Accreditation Basics
Every 10 years DU is required to participate in an institutional re-accreditation process. The University of Denver received its first accreditation in 1914 and has been evaluated on a regular basis since, under the review process of the North Central Association (NCA) Commission.
University accreditation is a voluntary process by which the services and operations of participating universities are examined to determine their compliance with a common set of standards. In advance of a site visit by a team of peer evaluators, universities conduct an evaluative self study.
NCA is one of six regional educational accrediting bodies recognized by the federal government. NCA covers a nineteen state (mostly western and Midwestern) area, and over 1,000 institutions of higher learning hold membership in the Association. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is the body within NCA charged with reviewing institutions of higher education.
Besides assessing formal education activities in the accreditation review, the HLC visiting team will evaluate our governance and administration, financial stability, admission and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness, and relationships with internal and external constituencies. The process is centered on the University’s ability to fulfill our mission, and is intended to lead to a greater understanding of our strengths and an identification of opportunities for improvement.
Goals of the self study report
- To provide a comprehensive, objective, evidence based, self-reflective review of DU’s strengths and challenges
- To present evidence of DU’s compliance with the 5 Criteria from HLC
- To contribute a valuable perspective to our strategic planning processes
- To involve as many campus community members as possible so that our report is inclusive and our process is transparent