Consultant evaluators from the Higher Learning Commission will visit East Central University Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 as part of the university's 10-year reaccreditation process. They will hold formal meetings with faculty, staff and students as well as talk with them while walking across the campus. The evaluators will hold a forum for students only from 1-2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, in the Regents Room in Knight Hall.
ECU students have been encouraged to learn ECU’s mission statement and to know the reason for the visit as well as the need for the university’s accreditation to be reaffirmed.
“Accreditation is crucial for students to receive federal financial aid,” said Dr. Duane C. Anderson, ECU provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Accreditation also makes it possible for credits earned at one institution to be transferred to another. Also, future employers prefer to hire applicants with a degree from an accredited university.”
Students could be asked such questions as why they chose ECU, if their expectations have been met and if they can get the courses they need to complete their degrees, Anderson said. They could be asked if they know where to go to get academic advice, personal counseling or make a complaint.