CCCC placed on probation by HLC

Cloud County Community College has been placed on probation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) effective June 24, 2021.
A public disclosure from HLC states that Cloud County Community College's status has changed from accredited to accredited – on probation.
HLC took the action because it determined that Cloud County Community College (CCCC) is out of compliance with HLC requirements.
The initial period of probation is not more than two years.
Probation affords an institution a reasonable period to address HLC's concerns.
While on probation, the institution remains accredited, and it has the opportunity to remedy the issues that led to the sanction.
“Cloud has already improved and re-established a college-wide assessment process. However, we need more time to evaluate the effectiveness of systematic improvements. Essentially, Cloud has addressed every concern identified through the HLC review process except the needed time to evaluate those improvements,” CCCC president Amber Knoettgen said. “It was, and still is, quite frustrating to know that time was just not in our favor. However, the foundation has been set for Cloud to demonstrate that our efforts are effective. Most importantly to note is that while on probation, Cloud County Community College remains an accredited institution.”
A regional accreditation agency that accredits degree-granting college and universities that are based in a 19-state region of the United States, HLC conducted its comprehensive evaluation of CCCC in October 2020.
Regional accreditation validates the quality of an institution as a whole and evaluates multiple aspects of an institution, including its academic offerings, governance and administration, mission, finances and resources.
HLC's institutional accreditation includes all degree levels as well as onsite and online offerings.
CCCC was informed in a letter to Knoettgen from Barbara Gellman-Danley, president of the HLC board of trustees, that it has been placed on probation because it is out of compliance with the criteria for accreditation.
HLC concluded that CCCC does not meet the core component that states the institution engages in ongoing assessment of student learning as part of its commitment to the educational outcomes of its students for the following reasons:
• The institution does not have an effective process for assessment of student learning and only a few academic areas have articulated program outcomes.
• Varying interpretations of assessment and assessment outcomes across the institution have contributed to a lack of cohesive student learning outcomes and effective assessment practices in both academic and co-curricular environments. With the recently adopted improvements, time is needed to collect and evaluate information about the effectiveness of these improvements.
• The institution has begun to re-establish and improve a college-wide program of assessment. However, a full assessment cycle demonstrating that the results of these activities are used for systematic improvement has not yet been completed.
HLC also included that CCCC meets four core components with concerns. Those core components include:
• The rigor of the institution's academic offerings is appropriate for higher education.
• The institution ensures the quality of its educational offerings.
• the institution pursues educational improvement through goals and strategies that improve retention, persistence and completion rates in its degree and certificate programs.
• The institution engages in systematic and integrated planning and improvement.
It is stated that the board of trustees of HLC has determined, based on the findings and evidence in the record, that CCCC is not in compliance with the criteria for accreditation and therefore must be paced on probation.
CCCC is required to submit a provisional plan for HLC for review and approval by the Institutional Actions Council. It must be submitted within 90 days of the action letter being received.
The HLC board requires that CCCC submit an assurance filing no later than October 1, 2022, providing evidence that it has ameliorated the findings of non-compliance identified in the action that resulted in the imposition of Probation and of Met with Concerns, and providing evidence that it meets the criteria for accreditation, federal compliance requirements and any cited assumed practices.
CCCC will host a comprehensive evaluation no later than December 2022.
The HLC board will review documents associated with the evaluation at its June 2023 meeting to determine whether probation shall be removed, or if CCCC has not provided sufficient evidence of amelioration, whether other action should be taken, up to and including withdrawal of accreditation.
“First and foremost, we are determined to meet the accreditation criteria during our next comprehensive evaluation in December of 2022,” Knoettgen said.