Arkansas Tech University has received reaffirmation of accreditation from The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
In a statement of affiliation status for Arkansas Tech dated Aug. 17, 2011, The Higher Learning Commission noted that no further reports are required and that no other campus visits concerning accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools are scheduled before the next comprehensive evaluation in 2020-2021.
“This is the cleanest bill of health that The Higher Learning Commission can give to a university,” said Arkansas Tech President Dr. Robert C. Brown. “To receive a report of this nature with no conditions and no interim reports is virtually unheard of. The results of the 2010-11 comprehensive evaluation are an accurate reflection of the leadership provided by our Board of Trustees and the excellence of our faculty.”
Arkansas Tech was first accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools as a junior college in 1930. The senior college program at Arkansas Tech was accredited by the North Central Association in March 1951, and the university has maintained that accreditation ever since.
The Higher Learning Commission has five criteria for accreditation:
(1) Mission and integrity;
(2) Preparing for the future;
(3) Student learning and effective teaching;
(4) Acquisition, discovery and application of knowledge;
(5) Engagement and service.
In order to demonstrate its proficiency in those areas, an institution must first perform a self-study and submit the results of that study to The Higher Learning Commission in a written report.
Dr. H. Micheal Tarver, dean of the Arkansas Tech College of Arts and Humanities, served as self-study coordinator and authored the 2010-11 self-study for the university.
A cross-section of the university, including administrators, faculty, staff and students from both the Russellville and Ozark campuses, was involved in committee work that contributed to the Arkansas Tech self-study.
The self-study report was submitted to The Higher Learning Commission in January 2011, and a panel of six consultant evaluators from institutions of higher learning in the north central region of the United States visited the Arkansas Tech campus for a site visit March 14-16, 2011.
A combination of the self-study and the report from the six consultant evaluators was used to determine the continued accreditation status for Arkansas Tech.
“Accreditation is a process that has great value for our institution because it confirms the quality of the academic programs at Arkansas Tech and offers us an opportunity to chart a course for continued success in our mission,” said Brown. “I offer my sincere appreciation to everyone associated with our university who participated in the self-study and the site visit. Their willingness to give of their time and their knowledge during this process was a great service to Arkansas Tech.”
