Accreditation Cycle

NIU's HLC Open Pathway Timeline

NIU is currently within the assurance review and site visit phase of the open pathway timeline, being completed during year 10 of the open pathway cycle:

Quality Initiative 2023-2024 Comprehensive Evaluation

Assurance Review 2028

The university was reaccredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for 10 years (until 2034), the maximum period possible. Going forward, NIU will demonstrate its commitment to continuous improvement and maintaining accreditation through the least restrictive HLC pathway, the open pathway.

NIU will be required to complete an assurance review in 2028, demonstrating how NIU fulfills each of the four accreditation criteria and the associated 18 core components.

1. Mission
2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
3. Teaching and Learning for Student Success
4. Sustainability: Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning

To prepare, evidence will be collected and an assurance argument developed that covers the period from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2027. The assurance argument will be submitted in summer 2028.

Assurance Review 2018

The 2018 assurance argument was developed by NIU criteria groups covering the period from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2017. The project was supported by the resource group and facilitated by the oversight group.

The 2018 HLC assurance argument (PDF) was submitted on June 15, 2018.

NIU has successfully completed its 2018 mid-cycle assurance review, meeting all five of the HLC criteria for accreditation. The HLC peer review team's final report (PDF) describing their findings is available to all campus constituents.

These findings were also presented to the NIU Board of Trustees (PDF) on Sept. 13, 2018.