When is Labette’s next accreditation visit?
Labette Community College’s (LCC) next comprehensive visit is March 2-3, 2026. LCC has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1976.
Labette Community College Accreditation Status
What is HLC?
The Higher Learning Commission is an independent accrediting agency, founded in 1895. HLC accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States. HLC is an institutional accreditor, accrediting the institution as a whole.
HLC’s mission is: “Advance the common good through quality assurance of higher education as the leader in equitable, transformative and trusted accreditation in the service of students and member institutions.”
What is accreditation and why is it important?
Accreditation is the primary means of assuring and advancing the quality of education in institutions of higher education. The importance of accreditation is tied to:
1) Public support - Accreditation serves as the primary reliable authority for support from the private sector;
2) Federal financial aid - A college cannot get federal financial aid if it is not accredited; and
3) Acceptance of transfer credits - Other colleges cannot accept the transfer credits of a college that is not accredited.
What is the process of a comprehensive evaluation visit?
LCC is on a 10-year, Open Pathway accreditation cycle. It last received a 10-year accreditation from HLC in 2016. On March 2-3, 2026, a team of approximately five HLC peer reviewers will visit Labette Community College for an on-site evaluation of LCC’s efforts to meet HLC Criteria for Accreditation. These peer reviewers will be a team of administrators, faculty members, and staff members from peer institutions. Before they visit, they will review LCC’s Assurance Argument, Federal Compliance Filing, and Student Opinion Survey.
What will happen during the visit?
During the visit, the team of Peer Reviewers will meet with administrators, students, staff members, faculty members, LCC board members, alumni, and community members in both formal meetings and open forums, and informally as they walk across campus. The team will seek to verify the information LCC provided in the Assurance Argument. They will also review LCC’s policies, procedures, and other documents.
What is the Assurance Argument?
The Assurance Argument is a 35,000-word online “argument” that states how LCC meets each of the four HLC Criteria for Accreditation. The argument also links to relevant evidence to support the argument. LCC staff, faculty, and administrators have spent years developing this argument.
What is the Federal Compliance Filing?
The Federal Compliance Filing proves that LCC follows U.S. Department of Education requirements and best practices in operating an institution of higher education.
What is the Student Opinion Survey?
HLC will make available a Student Opinion Survey for LCC students to provide feedback about the college.
What is the result of the visit?
Based on their analysis of documents and interviews, the Peer Review team will determine whether LCC meets the standards for continued accreditation. In the final day of the on-campus visit, the team will give an exit report to share its preliminary findings with the President. Within two months after the visit, LCC will receive the Peer Reviewers’ written report, which will provide LCC with evaluative feedback about how effectively the institution meets the Criteria for Accreditation. The Peer Reviewers may simply identify our current strengths and challenges and recommend continued accreditation. Or, the team could require a focused follow-up visit sooner if significant concerns are identified. The team could also recommend other kinds of progress reports or monitoring reports.
How has LCC prepared for the HLC visit?
Preparations have been underway for several years. Many efforts have come from recommendations provided after HLC’s 2016 and 2020 reviews. President’s Council began this work by an initial review of material for each criterion. Since then, this work has included LCC employees reviewing LCC’s methods of meeting individual criteria, gathering and preparing evidence, creating evidence documents when needed, and identifying gaps that need to be addressed. As a result of this work, some new efforts have been created that will operate well beyond the accreditation visit. Outside reviewers have helped review the Assurance Argument. The Vice President of Academic Affairs has communicated regularly with the overview of the accreditation process to all faculty, staff, and students. A timeline for completion of the Assurance Argument was established and followed.
What should all LCC staff, faculty, and administrators do in preparation for the visit?
- Be familiar with the HLC Criteria for Accreditation. The criteria are located in a link on this page
- Read the Assurance Argument once it is completed.
- Be prepared to describe the ways in which you participated in the accreditation process, whether it involved writing parts of the Assurance Argument or helping collect evidence or reviewing it.
- Be familiar with your own department’s assessment and continuous improvement processes.
- Consider how you are involved in LCC’s decision-making efforts at LCC, ranging from assessment to budgeting to campus improvement.
- Be familiar with LCC’s mission and strategic plan and how it relates to your work.
- Refer to the communication provided to you about HLC and the reaffirmation process.
What is expected of me during the visit?
- You may be asked to attend certain meetings with the reviewers. Before the meeting, anticipate questions as they relate to how your work is related to helping LCC meet HLC Criteria.
- You will be invited to attend open forums. You are not required to attend. At the forums, be prepared to describe how LCC meets its mission, how your department assesses its efforts, and how LCC overall strives to create a quality learning environment.
- You may also be approached for a general conversation by a Peer Reviewer. Be prepared to give your individual insight on how LCC strives to be a premiere institution.