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3.43 Accreditation

Responsible Position

President

RELATED ITEMS

Minnesota State Board Policy

Minnesota State System Procedure

Higher Learning Commission Policy: Criteria for Accreditation

POLICY STATEMENT

Purpose

To establish accreditation requirements for Alexandria Technical and Community College.

Background

Higher education institutions demonstrate that the College and their educational programs meet minimum standards through accreditation. Accreditation can be attained at the institutional or programmatic level. Once achieved, accreditation must be renewed periodically to ensure that the quality of the institution and educational programs is maintained.

Definitions

Accreditation

A process and a status that assures higher education institutions and programs meet a set of standards developed by peers.

  1. Institutional accreditation
    Accreditation of college is determined by institutional accreditors (formerly regional or national accreditors), indicating that the college is achieving it's mission objectives, and the accreditor's standards.
  2. Program/specialized accreditation
    Accreditation of an institution’s programs that involves examination of individual academic units, programs, or disciplinary offerings to ensure they are providing students with a quality education in a particular area of study. Programmatic accreditation may be required in some fields for graduates to seek licensure or certification. Programmatic accreditation in other fields serves to provide a recognition of quality.
Higher Learning Commission

An institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. HLC accredits degree-granting institutions of higher education in the United States. 

Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation

ATCC shall achieve and retain institutional accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission. If ATCC does not maintain an accredited status with the Higher Learning Commission, the college may be subject to loss of degree granting authority. 

Program Accreditation

For programs that have an accreditation and for which people working in that field must be licensed or certified for employment, ATCC shall achieve and maintain accreditation for those programs (e.g., police training and education, nursing, etc.). 

For fields that do not require a licensure or certification, ATCC may obtain program accreditation where appropriate and aligned with the mission of the college. 


Report to the Chancellor

The ATCC President provides an annual update to the Minnesota State Chancellor, or chancellor’s designee, on the status of the college’s accreditation. 


Related ATCC Documents:

 

Approved by: College President

Effective Date: 3/18/2026

Next Review Date: March 2029

Archive: 3.2 Accreditation and Affiliations