Clark State Community College has been reaffirmed for accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) through 2028-29.

“This reaffirmation is a testament to the high-quality and student-centered education and services that Clark State provides,” said Dr. Jo Alice Blondin, president of Clark State. “The visiting review team highlighted and recognized Clark State’s strong shared governance, strategic planning processes and finances as points of pride for the College. The team also praised the Board of Trustees for their oversight and engagement with the College.”

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation founded in 1895 as one of six regional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in 19 states in the North Central region.

Clark State hosted a team from the HLC in December of 2018. The College has been accredited by the HLC since 1973. While visiting Clark State, the HLC team reviewed the institution’s continued ability to meet the criteria for accreditation.

The criteria for accreditation include: Mission; Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct; Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources and Support; Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement; and Resources, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness.

“Accreditation is a process used by higher education to evaluate colleges and universities for quality and to assess their efforts toward continuous quality improvement,” said Amy Sues, dean of institutional effectiveness, planning, assessment, and accreditation. “Regional accreditation validates the quality of an institution as a whole and evaluates multiple aspects of an institution ranging from its academic offerings, governance and administration, mission, finances and resources.”

Sues also said a cross-functional team of Clark State faculty and staff was well prepared for the Peer Team’s visit and review, and the successful reaffirmation of accreditation is an example of Clark State’s commitment to the communities and counties it serves.

Clark State Board of Trustees Chairman Brad Phillips said he is pleased to see a positive report from the HLC. “The reaffirmation of accreditation can be attributed to the faculty and staff that worked so hard to raise the bar at Clark State,” he said. “It was good to see the positive feedback and know everyone’s hard work is paying off.”