MAC Receives High Marks from Accreditation Team

MAC Receives High Marks from Accreditation Team

Mineral Area College has received notification from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) that the college met all criteria during the recent Standard Pathway Year 4 Review with no additional monitoring recommended. 

The HLC is an institutional accreditor for degree-granting institutions of higher education in the United States. MAC is on HLC’s Standard Pathway for maintaining accreditation, which features a 10-year reaffirmation cycle where quality assurance and improvement are integrated for comprehensive evaluations. During the recent Year 4 Review, the college submitted an assurance argument detailing how it meets HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation, which are standards set in the areas of mission, integrity, teaching and learning, institutional effectiveness, resources, and planning. The final component of the review was an on-site visit from an HLC review team.  

During the two-day campus visit in late October, the review team met with students, faculty and staff, college leadership, and community stakeholders. The meetings gave the team an opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback in order to determine whether the college is meeting the quality guidelines set by HLC.

In their post-visit report, the HLC team said it is evident MAC offers high-quality education across all modalities and locations; acts ethically and with integrity; demonstrates responsibility for the quality of education programs, learning environments, and support services; and is planning effectively to ensure student success. The team was impressed by the college’s Board of Trustees and expressed confidence in the ability of leadership and employees to continue meeting its mission.

The report also noted that “Perhaps most importantly, reviewers noted the positive morale and culture of teamwork at MAC. Mineral Area College is a college that speaks with a single voice, understands its responsibility to its students and community, and is achieving great things to enable student success.”

MAC President Dr. Joe Gilgour said the positive review is great news for the college and is evidence of the mission-driven work being done daily by MAC faculty and staff. 

"For over 100 years, Mineral Area College has been dedicated to bringing quality education to our region,” Gilgour said. “As college president, and on behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am proud of how well the MAC community told our story and thank all of those involved for their participation in the visit. We look forward to making continued progress in our ongoing dedication to fulfilling our mission to our service area." 

MAC’s next reaccreditation evaluation will take place in 2029. In the meantime, the college will develop goals and enact plans for continual improvement with a focus on long-term strategic planning and the examination of assessment processes in alignment with budgeting and forecasts.