Arkansas Tech University has successfully completed its Open Pathway assurance review through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) with no recommended monitoring.
“The accreditation process is vital to higher education because it ensures quality,” said Dr. Russell Jones, ATU president. “The results of this study by peer reviewers and HLC indicate that Arkansas Tech is fulfilling its role as a quality educational option. This outcome is further evidence of the momentum we are building at Arkansas Tech. Our students deserve the best college experience possible, and our faculty and staff give their all to provide an outstanding learning and living environment that values education inside and beyond the classroom.”
According to information provided by HLC, the assurance review process determines “whether an institution is in compliance with the criteria for accreditation and other HLC requirements.”
The assurance review is conducted in year four of the HLC accreditation cycle and is a part of the comprehensive evaluation that occurs in year 10 of the HLC cycle.
In accordance with the process established by the HLC, Arkansas Tech prepared an assurance filing that demonstrated compliance with accreditation requirements. The assurance filing was subsequently evaluated by a team of peer reviewers and ultimately approved by an HLC decision-making body.
HLC accreditation is based upon five overarching criteria:
- The institution’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations.
- The institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.
- The institution provides quality education, wherever and however its offerings are delivered.
- The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments and support services, and it evaluates their effectiveness for student learning through processes designed to promote continuous improvement.
- The institution’s resources, structures, processes and planning are sufficient to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its educational offerings and respond to future challenges and opportunities.
“The review team finds that the institution fully meets the criteria for accreditation,” reads a portion of the assurance review report produced by the team of peer reviewers after completing its review of ATU. “Processes at Arkansas Tech University reflect strong integration and alignment across strategic planning, use of data and implementation of action items. Multiple examples were provided of actions taken tied to strategy and data. Additionally, the assurance argument is replete with examples of the vehicles through which it encourages active student involvement in the life of the institution and the surrounding community as part of the educational experience.”
The 116th session of Arkansas Tech University will begin with the first day of classes for the fall 2025 semester on Wednesday, Aug. 20.
Learn more at www.atu.edu.
