Every institution of higher education in the United States is routinely reviewed for accreditation by one of the nation’s regional independent accrediting agencies. Accreditation assures the public of the fundamental quality of the institution. It is also a requirement for a college or university to receive federal or state grants or student loans.

Denison University is under review in 2009 by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC-NCA). The college’s accreditation process began in the fall of 2007 when a newly appointed steering committee of eight teaching faculty and administrative staff were tasked to conduct an institutional self-study. Using evaluation criteria provided by the HLC-NCA, the committee queried all departments and programs, from Admissions to Women’s Studies, as well as alumni, students, support staff, and the board of trustees. The committee then distilled and summarized the responses, collected additional data, and wrote a self-study report, “Denison University: A Decade of Purpose & Progress.” The report was submitted to the HLC-NCA in mid-September 2009. The accreditation process includes a site visit from a team of consultant-evaluators from the NCA, which takes place November 16-18, 2009. The process will be completed once the North Central Association issues its report to President Dale T. Knobel, several weeks after the site visit.

The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association invites comments on Denison’s qualifications for accreditation. Comments must be written, signed, and sent by October 16 to:

Public Comment on Denison University
The Higher Learning Commission
30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400
Chicago, IL 60602-2504

Comments may also be submitted electronically to the HLC-NCA at http://bit.ly/osZN2.

To aid in the consideration of Denison’s qualifications, this web page includes a downloadable PDF of the report.

• Denison University: A Decade of Purpose & Progress [pdf]

Respectfully submitted,

Self-study Steering Committee

Jessica Rettig – Committee Chair (Biology) [Contact by e-mail]

Gary Baker (Modern Languages)

Sohrab Behdad (Economics)

Kim Coplin (Associate Provost)

Todd Jamison (Institutional Research)

Cynthia Turnbull (Theatre)

Cathy Untied (Controller)

Jennifer Grube Vestal (Academic Support & Enrichment)