Notify HLC of Changes to Educational Offerings Due to the Coronavirus
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, HLC member institutions have needed to adjust normal operations to protect the health and safety of their campus communities, while providing alternative methods of instructional activity.
HLC will be as flexible as possible within the U.S. Department of Education’s expectations. An institution should notify HLC of the adjustments it has made, including the steps it takes to ensure quality and continuity in its instructional activity.
Resources
Temporary Emergency HLC Policy Related to COVID-19
Information from the U.S. Department of Education:
- General resources and information
- Specific guidance related to temporarily suspending ground-based classes
- Information for accrediting agencies regarding temporary flexibilities provided to coronavirus impacted institutions or accrediting agencies
Distance Education Approval Requirements
On June 16, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education updated its previous guidance for interruptions of study related to COVID-19 and extended flexibility to allow institutions to continue offering distance education through December 31, 2020. Significantly, as long as the federal emergency is in place, the Department is reiterating its priority in preserving public health while attending to the best interests of students.
In planning for the spring, institutions that are not approved at the highest level of distance education with HLC (Approved to offer courses and programs) are expected to apply for the appropriate level of substantive change approval IF they determine that at some point during Spring 2021, either of the following scenarios will occur:
- One or more students will reach a 50% threshold of completion within a single educational program through distance education (Requiring approval for courses and one program) OR
- Students will reach a 50% threshold of completion in more than one educational program through distance education (Requiring approval for courses and programs).
PLEASE NOTE: Distance-delivered programs are certificate or degree programs in which 50% or more of the required courses may be taken as distance-delivered courses.
Notification Form
This form should be used to notify HLC of (1) adjustments to normal operations, (2) changes to adjustments to normal operations and (3) determination that it is resuming on-ground operations. It should be completed by the institution’s Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO).
The form is to notify HLC of decisions made, as opposed to those contemplated. The form does not substitute for HLC’s established policy and procedure requirements. Material changes to the institution’s operations, budget and personnel may require HLC follow-up. If an ALO is in doubt about what to include in the notification form, he or she should contact their HLC staff liaison.
Important: If an ALO is providing an update to a previous submission, there is no need to re-enter the original information. Only describe how the institution’s plan has changed. If there is not new information to report for a question, enter "no change since previous submission" in the answer field.
The answers to each question below should be four sentences or less.
