In just a few days, something important is happening on our campus that does not involve exams, athletic competitions, or social events. It might be more significant than all of those combined. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is sending a peer review team to reaffirm Principia College’s accreditation, and they want to hear from students.
Most students might think accreditation is a boring administrative process, but the truth is, it is the reason our degrees will mean something when we graduate. Maintaining accreditation protects the value of our degrees. It also shows our future employers, families, and friends that we are gaining a high-quality education. Accreditation also makes it possible for us to apply/receive federal student aid
Principia College has been continuously accredited since 1923, and this once-in-10-year site visit asks that we demonstrate the quality of the programs offered and the experiences. But this is not just a formality. The HLC peer reviewers will be on campus Feb. 23-24 to evaluate how Principia is living its mission, supporting student success, and operating with integrity and sustainability.
Where do students come in?
Here is the thing most students do not realize: the peer reviewers want to talk to us. They are hosting three open forums specifically, so students, faculty, and staff can share honest experiences of what it is like to learn, work, and live at Principia.
Here’s what to expect.
The open forums will be held in Wanamaker on Feb. 23 and 24, with sessions covering different accreditation criteria. Each session lasts 45 to 60 minutes, and you do not need to prepare a presentation or worry about saying the “right things.” The reviewers might ask about your experience with academic support, how you see the college’s mission reflected in your education, or how it has prepared you for life after college.
Be honest, be specific, be you.
The best thing you can do when you attend a forum (or when you encounter a reviewer around campus) is to share your own experience. Share specific examples — as a student in your academic center, as an athlete in a varsity sport, as a performer in the performing arts. The reviewers are here to understand how Principia is fulfilling its educational mission and genuinely supporting student success.
