McPHERSON, Kan. — The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) reaffirmed McPherson College’s accreditation following the June meeting of its Institutional Actions Council. As part of the reaffirmation, the HLC invited the college to pursue the Open Pathway for its next 10-year accreditation cycle — signaling confidence in the college’s ability to meet its mission and maintain high institutional standards.
The Open Pathway allows institutions to focus on innovation and strategic initiatives as part of their accreditation process. Institutions on this pathway typically undergo a virtual assurance review in year four and then choose and implement a Quality Initiative project between year five and nine, concluding with a comprehensive evaluation in year 10.
“We are excited to join the HLC Open Pathway,” said Matt Skillen, vice president for academic affairs. “This new accreditation pathway will allow us to align our ongoing work in accreditation with our ambitious strategic initiatives.”
McPherson College completed its most recent 10-year accreditation review during the 2024-25 academic year, culminating in a peer review team visit in April. The next full accreditation review is scheduled for the 2034-35 academic year.
Preparation for the review was a significant institutional effort, involving the creation of a more than 35,000-word assurance argument supported by nearly 500 pieces of evidence. The argument demonstrated how the college meets HLC’s five core criteria for accreditation: institutional mission, ethical and responsible conduct, quality of teaching and learning, and institutional effectiveness.
“The preparation for this comprehensive accreditation review was a remarkable campus-wide effort,” said Sandra Heibert, director of institutional assessment and academic compliance. “Dozens of faculty, staff, and students contributed to the assurance argument and prepared the campus for our site visit team. We had confidence going into the site visit because everyone on campus was engaged and excited to share our college’s story with our accreditors.”
McPherson College is among the 950 colleges and universities accredited by the HLC and has maintained continuous accreditation since 1921. The HLC accredits degree-granting institutions across the United States and ensures they meet rigorous standards for mission, integrity, educational quality, and resources.
