Second HLC Assurance Argument feedback session is Jan. 17

A key report – several years in the making – that’s vital to UND’s bid for another 10 years of institutional accreditation will be made public this week, and comments from readers are welcome.

The report, called the Assurance Argument, is a written document that gives UND the chance to tell its story as an institution to the Higher Learning Commission – the institutional accrediting body – and the University’s many stakeholders.

With that in mind, UND’s Higher Learning Commission Committee invites the University community to attend two Assurance Argument feedback sessions, the first on Thursday, Jan. 11, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and the second on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Both events will be hosted in the Memorial Union’s Small Ballroom.

At the events, attendees will be able to read printed copies of the Assurance Argument and talk with some of the writers of the document, said Shane Schellpfeffer, UND’s director of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation.

“The HLC has five Criteria for Accreditation, and the Assurance Argument documents how UND meets each of those criteria,” Schellpfeffer said. “And one way we make sure the document is complete is by subjecting it to multiple reviews. That includes review by members of the UND community.

“So, if anyone would like to read the document and talk about it, they’re welcome to attend one of the sessions, and they’ll be able to speak to the document’s actual writers there, too.”

The Assurance Argument’s latest draft also has been posted online, and the web page has a survey available where online readers can leave comments.

Online feedback will be collected Jan. 8-19.

For more information on the document and its creation, read the full story at UND Today.