Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Adult and Lifelong Learning (EdD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods

Advisor/Mentor

Grover, Kenda S.

Committee Member

Kacirek, Kit

Second Committee Member

Morris, Adam A.

Keywords

Accreditation; Accreditation Liaison Officer; Community College; Organizational Change

Abstract

Regional accreditation, seen as a necessary hurdle by many in higher education, is required to participate in Title IV funding. However, several studies indicate that the current accreditation process is broken. Institutions with more resources, both in staffing and funding, and more academically ready students are at an advantage for favorable accreditation outcomes. Those institutions serving the most at-risk students rely on Title IV funding the most and may be participating in a process in which they are less likely to succeed. This study seeks to explore the experiences of Accreditation Liaison Officers (ALOs) at Higher Learning Commission (HLC)-accredited community colleges. Specifically, the study focuses on institutions that were once on probation with HLC and have moved into good standing during the subsequent reaffirmation of accreditation review. By grounding the research in Lewin’s principles of planned change, the study seeks to uncover themes related to successes and failures that may provide a guide for community college administrators as they prepare for reaffirmation of accreditation.

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