CMU prepares for 2026 Reaffirmation of Accreditation

Central Michigan University is preparing for the final stages of its 2025-2026 Reaffirmation of Accreditation by The Higher Learning Commission, or HLC. Since fall of 2024, teams of students, faculty and staff have been preparing for the process, which will culminate with a site visit from the HLC this spring. 

What it means to be accredited

Accreditation can be considered a quality assurance process – an external review of the university to ensure it meets certain academic and operational standards. Accreditation can be used by prospective students, employers, donors, research funding institutions and others to determine the credibility of a college or university, and attending an accredited institution is often a requirement for students to receive federal financial aid.

There are more than a dozen accrediting bodies for institutions of higher education in the U.S., and many more accreditors that are program specific. The HLC, which was established in 1895, accredits approximately 950 colleges and universities nationwide. CMU has been accredited since 1915 and last completed a reaffirmation of accreditation with the HLC in 2016.

A mission-driven review

The HLC conducts a comprehensive review of all aspects of the university’s operations through the lens of its mission statement, meaning it considers how well the university is delivering on its mission as well as how it meets certain standards of practice. 

“At CMU, this means the review will consider the mission statement: CMU is defined by the success of our students and alumni, and by our collective impact with the communities we serve,” said CMU Provost Paula Lancaster. “As the HLC conducts its assessment of our university, they will be looking to see how effectively we are upholding that promise.”

During the comprehensive review, the HLC will assess the university on five criteria:

1. Mission
2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
3. Teaching and Learning for Student Success
4. Sustainability: Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning
5. Federal Compliance

In Fall 2024, CMU formed a multi-disciplinary steering committee to lead preparations for the accreditation process, co-chaired by Dave Patton, senior vice provost for academic and curricular affairs, and Kirsten Weber, faculty member in the School of Communication, Journalism and Media. 

In addition, more than 50 students, faculty and staff members agreed to serve on five committees aligned with each of the HLC criteria. These groups have been working for more than a year to respond to specific requests from the HLC, create reports and prepare the university for next steps in the accreditation process, Patton said.

Spring survey and site visit

CMU students will be asked to complete a student opinion survey as part of the comprehensive review. CMU leaders will send invitations to the students via their cmich.edu email addresses in late January and early February.

“The student opinion survey is a vital part of the accreditation process, and we hope students will make the time to answer the questions thoughtfully and sincerely,” Patton said. “The stories of their experiences at CMU are important as a gauge of how well we’re delivering on our mission.” 

Then, in April 2026, CMU will host a site visit team from the HLC on its Mount Pleasant campus. Members of the review team will meet with select groups of university stakeholders and tour university facilities. While they are here, they may also engage with individual students, faculty and staff to hear about their experiences at the university.

“We invite all students, faculty and staff to prepare for the site visit by learning more about the university’s mission statement and considering how they live that mission every day,” Weber said.

The university’s Mission of Impact, Learning and Leadership webpage outlines some of the ways the university has demonstrated its commitment to the mission, Weber said, but the individual stories of the experiences of our students, faculty and staff are powerful messages, too.

Next steps

Patton said that students, faculty and staff will be hearing more about the HLC Reaffirmation of Accreditation in the weeks ahead, and they can learn more by visiting the university’s accreditation webpage.