Yavapai College (YC) is accredited on a ten-year basis by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which assures quality by verifying that YC meets threshold standards and is engaged in continuous improvement. (View affiliation status: Yavapai College Affiliation Status)
Dr. Greg Gillespie is the Accreditation Liaison Officer for Yavapai College. (928) 717-7778; Greg.Gillespie@yc.edu
Yavapai College is due for re- accreditation in 2012-13, and has been selected as one of 14 national institutions to participate as a pioneer in the HLC Pathways Construction Project: A New Model for Continued Accreditation.
(1) The Assurance Process, which is based upon evidence that is stored electronically in a system maintained by the HLC. The evidence is evaluated by a team of peer reviewers who produce a report with recommendations. YC will prepare a report (Assurance Argument) that presents the case that it meets the HLC Criteria for Accreditation and complies with all federal compliance requirements. Two formal Assurance Reviews take place in the ten-year cycle: a fourth-year review that is conducted at a distance, and a tenth-year review that is conducted through a team visit. The tenth-year Assurance Review visit results in a recommendation that will be joined with the recommendation from the Quality Initiative to determine continued accreditation.
The Assurance Process is chaired by Tom Hughes, Director of Institutional Research. (928) 776-2205; Tom.Hughes@yc.edu
(2) The Improvement Process, which consists of a major Quality Initiative that the institution undertakes. (View YC Quality Initiative: YC Quality Initiative) This process is required for continued accreditation in conjunction with the Assurance Process. The Improvement Process typically occurs once every ten years and allows the institution to take risks, aim high, and if need be, learn from only partial success or even failure. At the end, YC prepares and submits a Quality Initiative Report.
The Improvement Process, overseen by the Quality Initiative Steering Committee, is chaired by Dr. Amy Stein, Art History professor, Visual & Performing Arts. (928) 717-7739; Amy.Stein@yc.edu
The HLC staff brings together the reports from the Assurance and Improvement Processes and prepares a summary, and determines continued accreditation status, based upon the findings and recommendations from both.
Yavapai College's Nursing Program is accredited by the Arizona State Board of Nursing and by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.