Above: Criterion 1 Committee: Jared Bassham, BRTC LETA Director; Phillip Dickson, BRTC Dean of Business and Technical Programs; Brandi Chester, BRTC Director of Financial Aid; Shawna Lepard, BRTC Administrative Specialist to the VP of Institutional Advancement; Graycen Bigger, NEA Intermodal Authority Executive Director and BRTC Foundation Board member
On September 2, 2022, BRTC held mock meetings and professional development to prepare for its upcoming Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation visit in Spring 2023. This meeting is one of three planned for the fall which will focus on the 5 criterion for accreditation.
The September 2 training focused on Criteria 1 and 2. HLC Criterion 1 is stated as “The institution’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations.” Criterion 2 is “The institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.” BRTC has developed a committee to address each criteria.
“My goal is to prepare BRTC employees so that they feel both comfortable and confident by the time the real HLC visit occurs,” said Sissy Gray, BRTC’s Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness. “I am proud of employees’ efforts during the first training, and I am confident that the HLC’s review will showcase to those outside the College what we already know – great things are happening at BRTC.”
Criterion 2 Committee: Travis Harris, BRTC math instructor; Donna Statler; BRTC Dean of General Education; Mary Anderson, BRTC Director of Admissions; Julie Edington, BRTC Director of Human Resources; Jason Linam, BRTC Dean of Nursing and Allied Health; Sissy Gray, BRTC Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness
During the fall sessions, Criteria Committees lead questioning of BRTC employees, offering them the chance to respond as they will need to during the real HLC visit. During questions rounds, the BRTC president, Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness who is responsible for accreditation at the college, the committees, and other college leadership help employees understand how the criteria relate to work already going on at the college and provide suggestions to help employees respond to the questions. During the real HLC visit, BRTC executive leadership will not participate in faculty and staff sessions during the real HLC visit.
For more information about BRTC’s accreditation, visit https://blackrivertech.org/about/accreditation.