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ACCREDITATION


Kellogg Community College is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which can be reached at:

230 S. LaSalle St., Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL, 60604
Phone: 800-621-7440

What Is Accreditation?

Accreditation is an external review process assuring colleges, universities and education programs meet rigorous quality assurance and improvement standards. Through institutional self-evaluation, peer review and institutional response, accreditation evaluates formal educational activities and institutional operations essential to the effectiveness of a college.

Kellogg Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a regional accreditor covering 19 states in the north-central region of the United States. KCC has been fully accredited since 1972, with its most recent reaffirmation in 2022.

Why Is It Important?

Accreditation assures that KCC meets the highest national educational standards and:

  • Affirms that KCC is providing quality educational experiences for KCC students
  • Allows KCC students to receive federal financial aid
  • Aids in meeting licensure and employment requirements
  • Aids in credit transfer to other institutions
  • Provides valuable feedback on how well KCC is meeting its goals for student learning
  • Creates an opportunity for KCC to assess, evaluate and improve its programs and services

Accreditation Criteria

The HLC evaluates colleges and universities for education quality against a set of five quality criteria:

  • Mission
  • Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
  • Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources and Support
  • Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement
  • Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning

Accreditation Reaffirmation Timeline

KCC’s HLC Reaffirmation process is underway. An HLC Multi-Location visit on Nov. 4, 2019, commended operations at the Grahl Center and Branch Area Careers Center. The onsite Peer Review visit took place in November 2021. A follow-up interim report was provided by KCC in June 2023 (see “Documents & Resources” below).

Accreditation Reaffirmation Process

HLC reaffirmation occurs on a 10-year cycle. KCC is following an Open Pathway model, which separates the process into three components:

  1. An HLC Open Pathway Quality Initiative Report
  2. A Comprehensive Evaluation and Assurance Review
  3. A Peer Review visit, report and recommendations

KCC’s Accreditation Focus

ENGAGEMENT: Soliciting broad participation from diverse constituencies in gathering evidence for our comprehensive review, analyzing institutional performance and reviewing conclusions and recommendations.

TRANSPARENCY: Keeping all stakeholders fully informed regarding accreditation processes and activities.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Recognizing programs and practices that contribute to KCC’s overall success and identifying others that can be created or further developed to support KCC’s teaching and service mission.

REAFFIRMATION: Achieving continued accreditation by meeting all HLC Criteria and Federal compliance requirements.

Documents & Resources

For more information, view: