The Criteria for Accreditation are the standards of quality by which HLC determines whether an institution merits accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation.
The Criteria listed below are those required for OU's HLC 2023 Comprehensive Site Visit. HLC is required by federal regulations and its own policies to initiate a substantive review of its Criteria for Accreditation every five years. The last set of updates to the Criteria for Accreditation were adopted in February 2019 and went into effect September 1, 2020. For information on the changes, please review the Criteria for Accreditation Crosswalk.
The institution’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations.
The institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.
There are no additional sub-components to this Core Component.
The institution provides quality education, wherever and however its offerings are delivered.
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.
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.