The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is an institutional accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) that serves as an independent voice in higher education. MSCHE establishes equitable standards for accreditation with member institutions that advance the impact of accreditation in the ever-changing landscape of higher education and promotes educational excellence through innovation across diverse institutions.

As an institutional accreditor, MSCHE requires evaluation of all aspects of the institution holistically, including modality of instruction, and everything done in the name of the institution, including all academic programs and services, fall within their scope of accreditation.

MSCHE is proud of the role it serves in verifying the quality of higher education through peer review, assessment, and evaluation. MSCHE is an active partner in quality assurance through its service as a voluntary, non-governmental, membership association for institutions of higher education throughout the United States as well as globally. MSCHE is accountable to those it serves, including institutions, states and federal government, and the public. The MSCHE staff, Commissioners, and peer evaluators understand the important role, responsibility, and reach of accreditation, and we take it seriously.

Standards of Accreditation

In 2014-15, during HCC’s most recent accreditation review, Middle States required institutions like HCC to demonstrate excellence in 14 Standards for accreditation. Since then, Middle States has revised its accreditation process and now evaluates institutions on seven (7) Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation.

Accreditation Cycle & Timeline

The Commission maintains an 8-year cycle of review, beginning with a self-study and on-site evaluation visit; HCC’s scheduled accreditation will take place during the 2024-25 academic year.

HCC's Middle States Self-Study 2023-2025

HCC ‘s Self-Study Design serves to guide the work of the Steering Committee and the Working Groups throughout the two-year self-study process leading up to the Team Visit in Spring 2025:

• HCC Self-Study Design 2023
• HCC 2026 Strategic Plan
• HCC Middle States FAQs 2023-2025
• HCC Draft Chapters for Review - Internal Only
   

HCC's Middle States Self-Study 2014-2015

All assessments for accreditation are conducted using the MSCHE (Middle States) standards.

• 2015 Self-Study
• 2015 Visiting Report
   

Key Areas of Interest

• Campus Directory
  An online directory of HCC staff and faculty.
   
• College Catalog
  Access new and archived catalogs. (Standard 3)
   
• Faculty & Staff
  In addition to internal documents and forms, this page provides access to campus departments where staff can access staff-only information including guidelines and procedures, as well as internal newsletters for employees.
   
• Institutional Learning Outcomes
  Information about institutional learning outcomes for student activities and other areas. (Standard 5)
   
• Outcomes Assessment
  This page provides access to Course Outcomes Guides (COGs), Master Syllabi, Program Outcomes Guides (POGs) , and General Education Student Learning Outcomes for faculty and staff. (Standard 5)
   
• Public Disclosure
  In accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act and Middle States regulations, this page provides prospective and current students, as well as the general public, with a variety of academic, institutional, and financial assistance information. (Standard 2)