NCA Accreditation
Southwestern is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. We have held this accreditation since 1961.
Since 2001, the College is an AQIP Institution. We are following an alternative path to accreditation that emphasizes academic quality.
Southwestern is accredited through the year 2008.
What is NCA/Higher Learning Commission Accreditation?
All mainstream American colleges and universities are accredited by one of six regional institutional accrediting associations. This accreditation is the key criterion used by government in determining eligibility for financial aid. Accreditation status is also critical when colleges and universities determine the eligibility of coursework for transfer from one institution to another. Since the late 19th Century, accreditation has existed as the foremost indicator of quality and excellence in American higher learning.
Institutions earn their accreditation through a rigorous process of self-study and a program of self-improvement. The principle of peer review is central to accreditation. This means that faculty and staff from other NCA/HLC-accredited institutions are actively involved in evaluation and that member institutions are assessed in reference to the expectations and conventions commonly shared by the higher education community.
The Higher Learning Commission is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Association was founded in 1895 as a membership organization for educational institutions. It is committed to developing and maintaining high standards of excellence.
The Association is one of the six regional institutional accrediting associations in the United States. Through its Commissions it accredits, and thereby grants membership to educational institutions in the nineteen-state North Central region: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The Higher Learning Commission is recognized by the Secretary of Education and the Committee on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation (CORPA, now continued under the Council on Higher Education Accreditation, or CHEA).
NCA Website
The NCA/Higher Learning Commission website can be accessed at: http://www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org/
The website for AQIP institutions is accessible from the above location or can be found at: http://aqip.org
