2025 Comprehensive Evaluation

In September 2025, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and Rochester campuses will undergo a comprehensive evaluation to reaffirm its accreditation status. This evaluation consists of the following components:

  • Assurance Review
  • Federal Compliance Review
  • Student Opinion Survey
  • On-site peer review visit
  • Multi-campus visit (for institutions with one or more branch campuses)

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to participate in this process. Information about our comprehensive evaluation will be posted on this page and continually updated as the process takes shape. Updates will also be provided in The Brief and through other University newsletters and communications mechanisms.

A Higher Learning Commission Site Visit will take place on the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses on September 29-30, 2025.  To meet our deadlines, the University has launched teams to begin work on our assurance argument.

2025 Comprehensive Evaluation One-Page Summary

2025 Comprehensive Evaluation Slide Presentation Overview

Activities/Timeline
  • July 2023
    Re-Accreditation Preparation Memo to University leaders
  • September 2023
    Steering Committee convened
  • December 2023
    Leadership Advisory Committee convened,  Meeting #1
  • February 2024
    Presentation to Board of Regents Mission Fulfillment Committee
    Docket Materials and Presentation (pages 3-35)
  • Spring 2024
    Assurance Argument meetings/assignments to criteria contacts and unit authors
  • May 2024
    First draft content due to Steering Committee
  • June-September 2024
    Develop first draft of assurance argument and evidence file
    Convene UMR team
  • October 2024
    Leadership Advisory Committee meeting #2
  • February 2025
    Leadership Advisory Committee Meeting #3
  • March/April 2025
    Public comment period-assurance argument
  • Spring 2025
    Site visit preparation
    HLC Student Survey
  • June 2025
    Quality Initiative Final Report due
  • June-July, 2025
    Finalize assurance argument and UMR Report
  • August-September 2025
    Campus preparations for site visit, development of schedule
  • Sept 1, 2025
    Assurance Argument, Federal Compliance Report, and UMR Report due to HLC
  • Sept 29-30, 2025
    HLC Peer Review Team Site Visit
  • December 2025 (approximate)
    Official notice of outcome from HLC
Planning Structure

University Leader/Owner: Rachel Croson, Executive Vice President and Provost
Manager/Staff Lead: Erin Slattengren, Assistant to the Provost, Accreditation Liaison Officer
Faculty Lead: Sauman Chu, Professor and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Assessment

Steering Committee Membership - Twin Cities Campus

  • Erin Slattengren (Chair), Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
  • Jennifer Reckner, Office of Undergraduate Education
  • Sue Chu (Content and Evidence Lead), College of Design, Office of Undergraduate Education
  • Stacey Tidball (Federal Compliance Lead), Academic Support Resources
  • Ole Gram, Office of Faculty and Academic Affairs
  • Lincoln Kallsen, Office of Institutional Analysis
  • Etty DeVeaux, Graduate School
  • Peter Radcliffe, Office of Undergraduate Education
  • Caroline Hilk, Director, Center for Education Innovation
  • Abby Corts, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost


Steering Committee Responsibilities

  • Provide project management, staff leadership, and accountability
  • Steer direction and define process of preparation for comprehensive review.
  • Identify and work with units and individuals for assignments 
  • Develop and reinforce timeline and deadlines 
  • Liaison with University groups and standing committees, etc.
  • Finalize assurance argument
  • Prepare plan and logistics for Peer Review Team Site Visit

Criteria/Evidence Contacts

Criteria/Evidence Contacts are University colleagues who will author draft content and provide evidence for preparation of the assurance argument. Contacts will be assigned by the Steering Committee.


Leadership Advisory Committee Membership

  • Rachel Croson (Chair), Executive Vice President and Provost
  • Sue Chu (Co-Chair), Professor and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Assessment
  • Erin Slattengren, Assistant to the Provost and Accreditation Liaison Officer
  • Raj Singh, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education
  • Scott Lanyon, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Education
  • Beth Lewis , Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs
  • Eric Watkins, Vice Provost for Distributed Learning
  • Brian Sick, Interim Associate Vice President for Academic Health Sciences
  • Harvey Charles, Vice Provost for International Programs
  • Laurie Ven Egeran. Vice Provost for Public Engagement
  • Mercedes Ramirez Fernandez, Vice President for Equity and Diversity
  • Calvin Philips. Vice President for Student Affairs
  • Chuck Tombarge, University Relations 
  • Mark Bee, University Senate, Faculty Consultative Committee (FCC) Chair
  • Katherine Scheil, Senate Committee on Education Policy (SCEP) Chair
  • Phil Miller (CSOM), Professional Education Council Chair
  • Sara Davis, Student Governance Representative
  • Michael Rodriguez (CEHD), Twin Cities Dean's Council 
  • David Blank (CSE), Associate Dean-Undergraduate
  • TBD, Associate Dean-Graduate

Leadership Advisory Committee Responsibilities

  • Provide a bridge to the wider campus community and update and engage their respective
    units on the re-accreditation process.
  • Provide high level guidance and feedback on the Criteria for Accreditation assurance
    argument. 
  • Meet with the Higher Learning Commission Peer Review Team during the site visit. 
  • Facilitate meetings with the Peer review Team during the site visit (as needed).

Rochester Committee 

(Branch Campus report and site visit preparation)

  • Lori Carrell, Chancellor, Rochester Campus
  • Paul Hanstedt, Vice Chancellor/UMR Accreditation Lead, Rochester Campus
  • Norman Clark, Senior Director of Academic Affairs, Rochester Campus
  • Rochester Accreditation Faculty Committee