HLC/NCA Accreditation Self-Study at MCCC

Monroe County Community College (MCCC) completed a self-study and underwent a Higher Learning Commission (HLC) comprehensive review in the fall of 2009. The visiting team commended the College for being mission-driven, student-centered, connected to the community, fiscally sound, and committed to continuous improvement:

Monroe County Community College meets the criteria for continued accreditation by the HLC. The College’s mission as a comprehensive two-year institution serving Monroe County, Michigan, is understood and supported by all constituencies of the College. MCCC has the human, physical, and financial resources to carry out its mission. The Board, administration, faculty, and staff are committed to student learning. And the College has productive working relationships with its
community partners, including business and industry, health care providers, and K-12 school districts in its region. MCCC is aware of areas in need of attention and is committed to continuous improvement.

However, the team raised concerns in two areas critical to the College’s ability to maintain institutional success: (1) shared governance and communication and (2) evaluating and improving institutional effectiveness. The team noted issues related to the assessment of student learning, particularly in the area of general education, and recommended that the HLC follow-up in the case the College did not complete the HLC Academy for the Assessment of Student Learning. (The College was in its third year of attendance at the Academy at the time of the comprehensive review.) These concerns echoed areas identified as opportunities for improvement in the College’s self-study.

The HLC granted MCCC continued accreditation for a period of ten years and scheduled the next reaffirmation visit for 2019-20—as long as the College addressed concerns that were raised by the visiting team in time for a focus visit in 2012-13. The College has happily prepared this report for this year’s visit.

The purpose of this report is threefold: (1) to demonstrate the exemplary progress theCollege has made in addressing the concerns raised by the 2009 visiting team; (2) to assure the HLC that the College is positioned to continue to meet accreditation criteria related to the Monroe County Community College 2013 Focused Visit Report
2 concerns identified by the 2009 visiting team; and (3) to provide the visiting team with the information and resources it needs to conduct a successful focused visit.

2013 Focused Visit Report - pdf file