As part of the accreditation process, representatives from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) will come to Baker during the first week of November to evaluate the university’s finances and strategic planning process.

“All universities, in order to be eligible for federal aid [for students], need to be accredited. Baker’s accreditation body is the Higher Learning Commission,” Provost Brian Posler said. “It is absolutely essential that we maintain federal accreditation, which means we have to do a lot of work to assure our accreditors that we are doing all of the things that they require us to do.”

The accreditation process is a 10-year cycle that includes several reports and evaluations along the way. Baker was last accredited in 2011, nearing the end of President Pat Long’s term. Now at the four-year mark, administrators must submit a report that staff and faculty work together to complete. In Baker’s case, this document contains 90 pages and outlines all the ways Baker has met the criteria for accreditation. HLC will then peer review the document to verify it is accurate.

Recently retired library director Kay Bradt was the one who compiled the report from a lot of sections authored by several different staff and faculty members. She said it was a lot of work putting all the sections together for they were all written by different people.

“I served as another pair of eyes to check that all of the questions were answered and that there was good support, good evidence for our answers,” Bradt said. “The HLC requires that the report be completed a month before the accreditation team visit so that the team has plenty of time to read and digest it.”

Posler said the accreditation model that Baker is currently following is a rigorous process, “but it is probably much better for students in the long run. The stamp of quality really means something.”

During the visit, the HLC will also have to investigate two new programs Baker is hoping to launch soon, a Master of Science in Student Affairs Administration and an Ed.D. in Instructional Design and Performance Technology. Posler is really excited for these program to be launched and hopes that HLC will give them a passing grade.

“At the same time they are looking at all of this criteria and examining us, they are looking at these programs to make sure that we have the right faculty, right curriculum, right resources in place to be successful with these new programs,” Posler said. “We are hopeful, as part of the same process, that they will say ‘Yes, you are good to go and can launch these new programs for students,’ so we are excited for that.”

There will be two open forums for students to meet with HLC on Monday, Nov. 2. The sessions will be held at 11 a.m. to noon and 5 to 5:30 p.m. in the Alumni Center. Posler invites students to come and voice their personal experiences with Baker, good or bad. Posler said that this is really “valuable input” that would benefit Baker.