What to Expect If You’re on Campus During an HLC Site Visit

When the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) peer review team is on campus, the experience is best described as professional, conversational, and focused on understanding how things work in practice.

Reviewers are not looking to “test” individuals. Instead, they are trying to confirm that what the institution described in its accreditation materials reflects real, everyday practices.

How Do Reviewers Decide Who to Talk To?

The peer review team does not randomly pull people into meetings.

Most participants are identified:

• Based on their roles and responsibilities
• Because they are connected to specific areas of the Criteria
• Because they were involved in institutional processes (assessment, planning, governance, student support, etc.)

The visit schedule is developed in advance by the team chair in collaboration with institutional leadership, and individuals or groups are invited ahead of time. In some cases, reviewers may also hold open forums, where any faculty, staff, or students may attend and share their perspectives.

The goal is to hear from people who can help reviewers understand how policies, processes, and practices actually function.

What Kinds of Questions Might They Ask?

Questions during an HLC site visit are typically open-ended and reflective, not technical quizzes. Reviewers are listening for consistency and clarity, not scripted answers.

Examples of the kinds of questions they may ask include:

• Can you describe how this process works in practice?
• How do you use data or feedback to make improvements?
• How are decisions communicated across the institution?
• How do faculty or staff participate in this process?
• Can you give an example of how this has changed or improved over time?

For faculty, questions might focus on teaching, assessment, curriculum, or student support.

For staff, questions often focus on services, processes, communication, and collaboration.

For students, questions usually center on their experience and access to resources.

There are no right or wrong answers; reviewers are interested in understanding lived experience.

What If I Don’t Know the Answer to a Question?

That’s okay.

Reviewers understand that no one person knows everything. It is completely appropriate to:

• Answer based on your role and experience
• Say, “That’s outside my area, but here’s what I do know…”
• Explain how you would find the answer

Honesty and clarity are far more helpful than trying to guess.