The Higher Learning Commission is the regional accreditation agency to which Hendrix reports. The assurance and institutional improvement process of the Commission through the Open Pathway affords the College an opportunity to seriously examine its institutional
goals, functions, practices, and outcomes. In June 2019, the HLC continued our accreditation through the 2028-2029 academic year.
The Open Pathway is one of three options institutions have for maintaining their accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission. It follows a 10-year cycle and is focused on quality assurance and institutional improvement. The Open Pathway is unique
in that its improvement project, the Quality Initiative, gives institutions the independence to pursue improvement projects that are geared toward their current needs and aspirations.
In 2022, the College successfully completed its Year 4 Assurance Review with no recommended monitoring. In 2025, the College's Quality Initiative Proposal, which focused on the implementation and assessment of a new general education curriculum, was approved by the Higher Learning Commission. The next milestone in the College's accreditation cycle is the comprehensive evaluation in 2028-2029, which will include action on Reaffirmation of Accreditation.
Office
of Academic Assessment
The Office of Academic Affairs oversees the College's academic assessment efforts through the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, Dr. Todd Tinsley, who also serves as the College's Accreditation Liaison Officer. Dr. Gretchen Renshaw, Associate Professor of Music, serves as Assessment Coordinator. Together, they work closely with the Committee on Academic Assessment, which includes faculty representatives and a student representative, to guide and sustain the College's ongoing assessment work.