According to a UNM press release, Sunil Ahuja, vice president for accreditation relations with the Higher Learning Commission — UNM’s accreditor since 1922 — is visiting Main Campus this week.
Ahuja’s visit comes as UNM prepares for its next site visit in the 2018-19 academic year, according to the release, and several committees have been collecting evidence and crafting a report over the past two years — called an “assurance argument” — which will be completed prior to the site visit.
According to the release, Ahuja will provide guidance to the committees, and inform the University community about the accreditation process, including recent changes to federal requirements.
This visit is not a formal part of the reaffirmation of accreditation process. When the actual site visit occurs, it will be conducted by a team of peer reviewers, made up of faculty and staff from other universities in the HLC’s north-central region, according to the release.
According to the release, as UNM’s staff liaison with the HLC, Ahuja is the first contact whenever accreditation questions or issues arise, and his visit is in support of the preparations being made for the site visit.
The date for UNM’s site visit will be confirmed by the Higher Learning Commission by Oct. 14. The University selected four potential dates for a visit. In fall 2018, the potential dates are Oct. 8 and 22; and in spring 2019, March 4 and 25.
There are two opportunities for anyone in the community to learn more about the accreditation process, according to the release.
This includes a presentation by Ahuja to the Board of Regents’ Academic/Student Affairs and Research (ASAR) subcommittee on Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Roberts Room. From 3 to 4 p.m., Ahuja will be in Scholes Hall room 246, for a “coffee hour,” which is open to everyone.
Accreditation is a mark of quality to the public, to other colleges and universities, and to employers, according to the release. It certifies the quality of the University’s credits, which facilitates the transfer of students between institutions, and certifies the quality of UNM’s education as a whole — a benefit to students applying for jobs or graduate programs.
According to the release, accreditation allows UNM to act as a gatekeeper for federal student aid and other funding, which amounts to approximately $180 million each year.
The University’s HLC accreditation covers every aspect of UNM, including Main Campus, the Health Sciences Center and the branch campuses, according to the release. In addition to HLC accreditation, UNM has over 40 specialized accreditations, which also serve as a mark of quality to the public, though for individual programs and colleges.
Matthew Reisen is the news editor at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @MReisen88.
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