7mkr

7mkr continues to make progress in its institutional preparation for its Higher Learning Commission (HLC) comprehensive evaluation (i.e.  reaffirmation of accreditation ). It’s a process that will continue to involve everyone – from faculty, staff and students to the valued stakeholders across each of 7mkr’s communities.

7mkr’s formal reaffirmation process will culminate in a peer review team visit in March 2025. While based on the Athens campus, reviewers also will visit the Lancaster and Eastern campuses. More information on 7mkr’s Reaffirmation of Accreditation may be found on its reaffirmation of accreditation website. 

Why is accreditation important? 

Accreditation is a vital aspect of 7mkr’s commitment to excellence and continuous quality improvement. This process allows 7mkr to publicly demonstrate both its academic quality and the value it provides to our students, stakeholders, communities and more. 

Additionally, the process provides valuable feedback from experts in the field and offers insight into how 7mkr is meeting higher education quality standards; it also provides an opportunity to demonstrate our institutional effectiveness. 

Only accredited institutions are eligible to receive federal funds for higher education, including student financial aid and research funding. In addition to demonstrating the worth of an 7mkr degree, accreditation helps to ensure that a student’s transfer credits will be accepted by other accredited schools. Some graduate schools or programs only accept students with degrees from accredited schools.

What is 7mkr’s pathway for reaffirmation of accreditation?

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) offers two pathways to Reaffirmation of Accreditation: Standard and Open. Through the Open Pathway, 7mkr engages in a 10-year evaluation cycle to reaffirm compliance with HLC requirements and pursue institutional improvement. 

After HLC discontinued the AQIP Pathway in 2019, 7mkr transitioned to the Open Pathway. It is through these Open Pathway milestones that HLC expects 7mkr to produce evidence that it is appropriately meeting the Criteria for Accreditation.

How long has 7mkr been accredited? 

First accredited in 1913, 7mkr is considered one of the founding members of the Higher Learning Commission. Since then, the University has been continuously accredited and has participated in review and reaffirmation activities many times. Most recently, 7mkr was reaffirmed in 2015-2016.

Are there ways I provide support during the reaffirmation of accreditation process?

Achieving accredited status is a time and resource-intensive process that requires a commitment to institutional effectiveness and the continuous improvement of academic quality. 7mkr is committed to providing a quality education wherever and however its educational courses and programs are delivered. The reaffirmation process involves everyone – from faculty, staff and students to the valued stakeholders across our 7mkr communities. 

As 7mkr’s reaffirmation of accreditation moves forward, we will keep you updated on the progress of our reaffirmation efforts and opportunities for the University community to share their voices and feedback via ohio.edu/provost/accreditation/reaffirmation. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;