EVOLVE 2025: Equity Goals and Action Steps

The role of equity in accreditation and quality assurance is critical;the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the inequities existing in and endemic to higher education. To that end, an equity framework should permeate not only all levels of institutions (e.g., students, staff, faculty and governing boards) but also their accreditors (e.g., the Peer Corps and review process). These goals focus on HLC's commitment to modeling fairness, quality and access for all learners and institutions; they also emphasize the importance of all students having equitable access to higher education.

Goal 1: Demonstrate Equity in HLC's Mission

HLC will ensure that concepts of equity, diversity, access and inclusion are demonstrated in its mission and other foundational statements.

Timeline

2021–2025, and then ongoing

Action Steps

• Develop HLC definitions of equity, diversity, access and inclusion.
• Test the definitions against HLC's mission, vision and values. Assure consistency of interpretation by all staff and peer reviewers.
• Review HLC's Principles of Operation to assure they address equity, diversity, access and inclusion.
• Work to assure that the open access agenda in higher education is not compromised.

Goal 2: Promote Equity Principles

HLC will actively promote an understanding of and sensitivity to equity principles in its interactions with institutions and other stakeholders.

Timeline

2021–2025, and then ongoing

Action Steps

• Regularly identify potential trends regarding inequities relative to accreditation policies and processes by disaggregating and analyzing evaluation data (e.g., identification of institutional types that flag consistently on particular Core Components, sanctions or Show-Cause Orders).
• Explore various approaches to differential accreditation.
• Work with the Peer Corps Diversity Committee to provide additional training to peer reviewers on promising practices for evaluating equity, diversity, access and inclusion at institutions.
• Strengthen evaluations and training to improve interactions among peer review team members in order to reduce micro-aggressions and other forms of unconsciously discriminatory behaviors.
• Review (and, if necessary, revise) the Criteria for Accreditation to include equity principles. Hold a focus group and a symposium.

Goal 3: Assess Policies and Procedures

HLC will assess and address equity in relation to its operational policies and related procedures.

Timeline

2021–2022

Action Steps

• Develop a process and schedule to review alignment to equity of current internal operating policies and related procedures.
• Evaluate the developed processes one year after implementation and then bi-annually.
• Collect, review, and share Equal Employment Opportunity information with HLC employees.
• Provide "just-in-time" training regarding implicit bias when seeking new employees.
• Focus on building the diversity of HLC's Board of Trustees and employees.
• Provide annual training to all internal stakeholders, including the HLC Board of Trustees, regarding understanding of and sensitivity to equity and access.

Goal 4: Inform the Public

HLC will provide information to the public regarding issues that are impacted by equity considerations, for example educational attainment and high-quality credentials.

Timeline

2021–2024

Action Steps

• Determine specific external events or organizations with which to partner in order to provide information on quality credentials to fit student needs and expectations.
• Work as a convener to develop resources for the public, thereby expanding HLC's Student Resources.
• Host events for state and local officials, education administrators, and advocates to discuss the landscape in which education intersects with governmental policies and social/economic dynamics related to equity.