Graduate-level courses move step closer to reality

Metro President Stephen Jordan is still years away from handing out the college’s first master’s degree diploma, but that diploma has already received its first seal of outside approval.

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), an independent corporation and accreditation body of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, sent a three-member team Feb. 1 to assess Metro’s proposed graduate programs in teacher education, accounting and social work.

According to an exit interview, that initial visit will result in a recommendation for HLC accreditation, which will move to a peer-review phase for final approval.

The review will be voted on by a 26 member council, in Chicago, April 19.

In a press release, Jordan praised members of the Metro task force responsible for advancing the master’s degree programs toward final approval.

“The Master Programs Task Force and everyone involved are to be commended for accomplishing so much in a short, seven-month, period,” Jordan said.

The graduate program initiative has already cleared two other hurdles within the last 12 months.

In May, Gov. Bill Ritter signed House Bill 1295, allowing Metro to “offer master’s degree programs that address the needs of its urban service area.”

Then, at a Nov. 4 meeting, the Metro Board of Trustees, the governing body of the college, approved the three master’s programs to be offered.

Andrew Lootens-White, vice president for accreditation relations with the HLC, could not confirm the recommendation from the Feb. 2 exit interview because a formal report was still being prepared, but he warned against any predictions on the site visit team’s results.

“The team has several weeks to conduct this work, including sharing a draft report with the institution. After that, a final report is moved through our official decision-making processes, which include a system of checks and balances to ensure a thorough and fair review,” Lootens-White said.

He said there could be a high degree of variability on the timeline for completing this recommendation, based on when the team finishes its report and whether the institution accepts the recommendations or pursues an additional review.

Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Sheila Thompson, who chairs the Master Programs Task Force, said any future master’s programs would have to go through the HLC approval process.

“I think the visit went well,” Thompson said. “I particularly appreciated the advice and consultation provided by members of the visiting team regarding best practices for implementing master’s programs.”

The HLC accredits to degree-granting educational institutions in the North Central region: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The accreditation by the HLC is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.