Tag: HLC

HLC Reaffirmation Message

Posted on by Alexis Nicolle Petri

umkc logo with blue background

April 9, 2020

Dear Colleagues:

It is my pleasure to inform you that, thanks to your hard work and commitment, UMKC has received across-the-board affirmation in all categories from the Higher Learning Commission. As a result, we will continue as a fully-accredited university for another 10 years before our next reaffirmation process, scheduled for 2029-30.

Every member of our university should be proud of this result. Among the observations noted by the review team are the following:

  • Our mission is clear and guides our operations, and this was evident through the many interactions on the Volker and Health Sciences campuses during the site visit.
  • UMKC brings a historical awareness of the importance of access to education, and the challenges of systemic barriers to opportunity, in its diversity and inclusion efforts.
  • The visiting team’s conversations with UMKC personnel and students confirmed that our institution is deeply committed to its public-service mission.
  • The university operates with integrity in all financial and academic functions.
  • It was apparent that the university (and the UM System) support freedom of expression in teaching, learning, and scholarship.
  • The review team found that the institution had the commitment for ongoing educational achievement and improvement through assessment of student learning and that this commitment is part of the institutional culture.

Again, thank you for the time and effort you invested in this vitally important process. I know we can’t get together to celebrate in-person, but that day will come. I look forward to gathering with you in the not-too-distant future to raise a toast to our success!

Sincerely,

C. Mauli Agrawal, Ph.D.        Jenny Lundgren, Ph.D.
Chancellor                                Interim Provost

University of Missouri-Kansas City | Kansas City, MO 64110 | (816) 235-1000
UMKC is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.

Announcement of Higher Learning Commission Site Visit

Posted on by Alexis Nicolle Petri

November 21, 2019
Dear Colleagues,

The upcoming site visit with our peer review team from the Higher Learning Commission is drawing near. This visit, scheduled for December 2 and 3, will play a critical role in renewing our accreditation – an imperative for our mission of teaching, research and service.

In order to prepare for this important event, I am inviting our entire university community to review our final assurance argument.

I also want to urge as many members of our community as possible to participate in the open forums that will be part of the site visit. The schedule for the open forums is included below. If the HLC Peer Review Team Chair makes any changes to the schedule, the changes will be updated on the UMKC accreditation website.

Open Forum:  Criterion 1 & 2 (Mission & Integrity)
Monday, December 2
9:45-10:30 am, Student Union 401 AD

Open Forum:  Criterion 3 & 4 (Teaching & Learning)
Monday, December 2
2:15-3:00 pm, Student Union 401 AD

Open Forum:  Criterion 5 (Finances & Planning)
Tuesday, December 3
9:30-10:15 am, Student Union 401 AD

The HLC Site Team Chair has requested that a special invitation be sent informing you of two special times for “drop in” visits:

Monday, December 2
10:45 – 11:30 a.m.
Administrative Center – Swope Park Room

Tuesday, December 3
8:30 – 9:15 a.m.
Administrative Center – Swope Park Room

I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of this process. Accreditation holds our university to a high standard of quality. It provides confirmation that we are living up to our promise to offer students the best educational experience possible. As an accredited university, we are able to attract more research funding and recruit renowned faculty to teach and discover here at UMKC. Finally, our value to the community we serve is dependent upon our accreditation; it is how our constituents certify our position as a leader in learning. More information, including a summary of our assurance argument, study guide and a 5-episode podcast to prepare for the site visit, can be found at our accreditation page.

I want to offer my sincere gratitude to the dedicated faculty and staff who have been working toward this site visit for more than two years. Your work has been vitally important, and done with skill, care and commitment.

Respectfully,

Barbara A. Bichelmeyer, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Professor of Management

Episode Five Nuts and Bolts

Posted on by Alexis Nicolle Petri
logo for the podcast

Through a Common Lens: A Podcast to Prepare for Our Accreditation Site Visit has 5 episodes. One episode will be published each week with the goal of helping the campus community get to know UMKC through a common lens.

Episode Five: Nuts and Bolts

Episode five features the UMKC Accreditation Reaffirmation Cochairs – Cindy Pemberton and Ken Novak. Their narrative about UMKC’s accreditation reaffirmation gets down to brass tacks. If you want to know whether to wear Roo gear on December 2 and 3, or how to best prepare, or where to find resources – this is the episode for you. 

The podcast is edited and hosted by Alexis Petri. Music, “Spirit of the Girl ” from Spirit by Kevin MacLeod. Released: 2017. Track 4. Genre: New Age.

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Episode Four: Alignment

Posted on by Alexis Nicolle Petri
logo for the podcast

Through a Common Lens: A Podcast to Prepare for Our Accreditation Site Visit has 5 episodes. One episode will be published each week with the goal of helping the campus community get to know UMKC through a common lens.Episode Four: Alignment

Episode four continues a conversation with UMKC’s Provost about accreditation, higher education, and our university.

The podcast is edited and hosted by Alexis Petri.

Music “Truth in the Stones” from Spirit by Kevin MacLeod. Released: 2017. (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0.

Thank you to Angela Elam and New Letters on the Air for recording the interviews.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Episode Two: We’ll Go to the Moon and Back

Posted on by Alexis Nicolle Petri
logo for the podcast

Through a Common Lens: A Podcast to Prepare for Our Accreditation Site Visit has 5 episodes. One episode will be published each week with the goal of helping the campus community get to know UMKC through a common lens.

Episode Two: We’ll Go to the Moon and Back

Episode two features UMKC’s Chancellor talking about what accreditation is and why it is important. In this episode Chancellor Agrawal shares three stories and his perspective on why universities matter and why we strive for excellence.

The podcast is edited and hosted by Alexis Petri. Music “Crinoline Dreams” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0.

Thank you to Angela Elam and New Letters on the Air for recording the interviews.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

HLC Featured in UNews Article

Posted on by Alexis Nicolle Petri

UNews reporter Caleb Wilson interviewed HLC cochair Ken Novak for an article published today in UNews: UMKC to undergo accreditation evaluation

screen shot of article on UNews website
Screen shot of article on UNews website

 

There is an accidental misquote.

“I think that UMKC is in very good shape when it comes to whether our accreditation is going to be renewed. We should be very confident and proud,” said Novak. “I do not see anything that might be considered fatal, where there’s going to have to be drastic steps. But at the same time, I do not believe there is room for compliance  complacency.”

Novak does not believe there is room for complacency. Which is why the HLC team is working to engage UMKC faculty, staff, and students this fall.

 

Episode One Second Half: Well Run It

Posted on by Alexis Nicolle Petri
logo for the podcast

Through a Common Lens: A Podcast to Prepare for Our Accreditation Site Visit has 5 episodes. One episode will be published each week with the goal of helping the campus community get to know UMKC through a common lens.

Episode One: Well, Run It.

  • Part one: At least Newcomb got a building named after him
  • Part two: Problem’s with Dr Decker’s vision
  • Part three: Selling KC on the vision
  • Part four: Joining the University of Missouri System
  • Part five: Full circle
  • Part six: Mythbusting

Episode one features Chris Wolff talking about UMKC’s history. From Ernest Newcomb who never got to be president, but ran the university without official power, to Dr. Decker’s vision that the university be an elite liberal arts college, this two-part podcast shares the story of UMKC’s establishment, early struggles, and how they shape our university today.

The podcast is edited and hosted by Alexis Petri. Music, “Spirit of the Girl ” from Spirit by Kevin MacLeod. Released: 2017. Track 4. Genre: New Age.

191022 HLC Podcast Episode One Transcript.

Back to the first half of Episode One: Well, Run It

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Episode One First Half: Well Run It

Posted on by Alexis Nicolle Petri
logo for the podcast

Through a Common Lens: A Podcast to Prepare for Our Accreditation Site Visit has 5 episodes. One episode will be published each week with the goal of helping the campus community get to know UMKC through a common lens.

Episode One: Well, Run It.

  • Part one: At least Newcomb got a building named after him
  • Part two: Problem’s with Dr Decker’s vision
  • Part three: Selling KC on the vision
  • Part four: Joining the University of Missouri System
  • Part five: Full circle
  • Part six: Mythbusting

Play the first half below. For the second half, visit the next post: Episode One Second Half: Well Run It

Episode one features Chris Wolff talking about UMKC’s history. From Ernest Newcomb who never got to be president, but ran the university without official power, to Dr. Decker’s vision that the university be an elite liberal arts college, this two-part podcast shares the story of UMKC’s establishment, early struggles, and how they shape our university today.

The podcast is edited and hosted by Alexis Petri. Music, “Spirit of the Girl ” from Spirit by Kevin MacLeod. Released: 2017. Track 4. Genre: New Age.

191022 HLC Podcast Episode One Transcript.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

HLC Road Show

Posted on by Alexis Nicolle Petri

Members of the HLC Executive Committee are visiting a meeting near you. We are sharing updates and important information about the upcoming comprehensive evaluation site visit.

We are happy to present at your department or division meeting. If you would like members of the committee to speak at your meeting, please contact either Ken Novak or Alexis Petri.

HLC Road Show PowerPoint

HLC Key Talking Points5 (aka Ken’s Green Sheet)

HLC Open Forum – May 2

Posted on by Alexis Nicolle Petri

umkc logo with blue background

Dear Colleagues:

UMKC needs your engagement in the accreditation process for our university.

If you were unable to participate in our first open forum earlier this Spring, please join me and members of our Higher Learning Commission team for our second open forum on Thursday, May 2 at 10:00 am in the Health Sciences Building #4301, as we seek your input and answer your questions about our assurance argument and evidence collection.

I know you are busy, and still I hope you will make time to attend. Your involvement and contributions are critical to the reaffirmation of UMKC’s HLC accreditation.

The forum will enhance your awareness of how we strive for campus-wide excellence, even as you work toward excellence in your own unit. Accreditation holds our university to a high standard of quality and provides confirmation that we are living up to our promise to students: to offer them the best educational experience possible. Furthermore, as an accredited university, we are able to generate more research dollars and recruit renowned faculty to teach and discover here at UMKC. Finally, our value to the community we serve is dependent upon our accreditation; it is how our constituents certify our position as a leader in learning.

Each of us has a part to play in ensuring that we are complying with the standards we have set for ourselves and the university. Your participation is critical to ensuring we are putting our best foot forward.

In Fall 2017, I asked Cindy Pemberton and Ken Novak to serve as co-chairs of UMKC’s HLC Accreditation Steering Team, and I asked more than 50 of our colleagues to work on preparing UMKC for our upcoming HLC site visit on December 2 and 3, 2019.

I am deeply grateful to this group for having done the heavy lifting and, at times, tedious work over the past 18 months to gather evidence and craft assurance arguments for the HLC reviewers.

More information can be found at https://info.umkc.edu/accreditation/hlc/

Thank you for considering this request, and thanks again to the co-chairs, the Steering Team, committee members, and to university leaders who have been working so hard on this initiative.

I look forward to seeing you this Thursday, May 2 at 10:00 am in HSB #4301.

Respectfully,

Barb

Barbara A. Bichelmeyer, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Professor of Management

 

slide deck:  May 2 2019__HLC Town Hall Presentation