SAINTS PERSPECTIVE, SCC President Brad Bennett
Most people are familiar with the process of receiving a grade, whether it’s in third grade, high school, or college. What many don’t realize is that colleges themselves are continually being graded.
Since we are in higher ed, of course, there’s got to be a more complex word for the process: accreditation. But when you get past the jargon, what’s clear is the fact that Seward County Community College turns in homework and receives grades from our overseeing body, the Higher Learning Commission.
Along with a team of SCCC staff, I “went to class” last week at the annual HLC convention in Chicago. To call it a convention is a bit misleading. Our three days there felt exactly like school and nothing like Las Vegas. Vice President of Academic Affairs Luke Dowell, Vice President of Student Affairs David Hartman, TRiO Director Joel Figgs, and SCCC Trustee Marvin Chance Jr. and I attended lectures, workshops, and evaluative sessions, all designed to help us assess our performance and learn more ways to improve our college.
My colleagues here on campus can attest that sometimes, when I talk about higher ed, I get into the weeds and stay there too long. I don’t want to do that in this column, so I will share a few facts about HLC and why it matters:
HLC began in 1895, and originally known as North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Even though it began as a regional accreditor, it is now a national body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
HLC monitors colleges and universities of all sizes. The standard is the same for SCCC as for its fellow HLC members the University of Kansas, liberal arts powerhouse Oberlin College and Conservatory, and even the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.
Unlike students in traditional classrooms who might skip class, avoid reading a textbook, miss homework assignments, and then cram for a final exam, SCCC is constantly at work to “earn good grades” in the form of continuing accreditation from HLC. The organization sends in-person evaluators to campus every few years to conduct a thorough review of all our institutional practices, and it requires regular check-ins in the form of reports, updates, in-person and online evaluations, and attendance at the annual conference.
Here on campus, we have many teams assigned to continually review our practices for compliance.
HLC requires us to demonstrate that we have a clear mission at SCCC, that is stated plainly and publicly, and that it guides everything we do.
HLC expects all accredited institutions to act with integrity through ethical and responsible conduct.
HLC upholds high standard for teaching and learning for student success, with a level of rigor and assessment that is carried out with the appropriate faculty, staff, and resources for student support.
HLC also evaluates our College sustainability, effectiveness, resources and planning — in other words, we are expected to do more than perform at a high level this semester, we are expected to be future-oriented and set SCCC up for long-term success and service to our community.
These criteria are not small goals. Any college administrator will agree when I say it is a giant task for any team, and it requires everyone to contribute. But HLC’s expectations are welcome. They help us stay sharp, focus on what matters, and honestly evaluate our effectiveness.
Teachers at all levels know that the successfulness of education can be tough to measure. The daily demands can wear all participants down, and it’s all too easy to drift into autopilot. Are the students learning? Are the instructors doing their best? Are things better than they were a year ago? Have we stayed on course? HLC gives us tools and accountability to answer those questions, identify weaknesses and threats, and strengthen our College.
When our HLC team arrived home on Tuesday evening, I think we were all relieved to be back. Going to school, no matter what your age, grade, or professional role, takes a lot of energy. But as I like to remind our campus, learning is always valuable, and it helps us to be a little better every single day.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR — Brad Bennett is the President of Seward County Community College, and a lifelong student of history. This academic year, he has also learned a lot about soccer, air conditioning systems, and the SCCC Foundation. Contact him at
