Site visit for reaccreditation is imminent

Accreditation facts What is accreditation? Accreditation is formal recognition of the quality of an educational program or institution. Institutional accreditation, granted by the Higher Learning Commission, results from an evaluation of the entire institution. Why is institutional accreditation important? Institutional accreditation from the HLC demonstrates that an institution meets nationally-recognized standards of quality. Employers and other educational institutions respect credits and degrees earned at an accredited institution. Accreditation facilitates transferability of coursework and provides access to student financial aid and certain other federal funding opportunities. Accreditation is absolutely essential. What is UNMC’s mission? UNMC’s mission is to improve the health of Nebraska through premier educational programs, innovative research, the highest quality patient care, and outreach to underserved populations. Where can I learn more about UNMC’s reaccreditation process? Visit the reaccreditation Web site at www.unmc.edu/nca.

The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools will send seven site visit consultant-evaluators to UNMC Jan. 8-10 to tour the medical center and meet with campus leaders.

The visit is integral to UNMC’s goal of reaccreditation, an absolutely essential credential and formal recognition of the quality of an educational institution.

An experienced group of consultant-evaluators will be on campus next week — Jan. 8-10 — to meet and assess UNMC’s accreditation status. Random encounters with the visitors in corridors are likely, said John Benson, M.D., professor of internal medicine who is coordinating the reaccreditation efforts. If asked, faculty, staff and students should be prepared to share UNMC’s mission, as well as how their activities contribute to advancing the mission, Dr. Benson said.

The following open forums – each of which will be broadcast to UNMC divisions in Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff — are planned during the site visit to allow faculty, staff and students to meet and interact with the site visit team:

• Monday, Jan. 8 – the open forum with students and post docs begins at 4 p.m. in the Eppley Science Hall Amphitheater.
  
• Tuesday, Jan. 9 – the open forum with faculty, residents and staff members begins at 4 p.m. in the Durham Research Center, Room 1002.

Individuals wanting to give one-on-one comments with the consultant-evaluators may stop by McGoogan Library Study Rooms 7009 and 7010 at 3 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 8.

The commission is expected to take action on UNMC’s reaccreditation status by summer.

Visit UNMC’s reaccreditation Web site at www.unmc.edu/nca for more information, including the complete site visit schedule.