North Dakota State College of Science has been notified that its accredited status by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) has been continued. The Institutional Actions Council of the HLC notified the College of this action, which is the result of an ongoing accreditation process. This process included a comprehensive quality review campus visit that was conducted by five peer evaluators from different institutions in April 2016.

“This reaffirmation indicates the College’s continued commitment to quality and success, both inside and outside the classroom,” said NDSCS President John Richman. “I want to thank all NDSCS employees for their efforts leading up to and during the comprehensive quality review. Our accreditation is vital for NDSCS to continue to achieve our mission to train and educate the workforce of North Dakota and the region."

Accreditation is the process of ensuring and reviewing the quality of higher education institutions. NDSCS maintains its accreditation with the HLC through the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) Pathway, which is focused on quality assurance and institutional improvement, with an added emphasis on helping institutions achieve continuous quality improvement. This pathway follows an eight-year cycle with institutional review including regular monitoring, annual action projects, strategy forums, systems portfolios and appraisals, and a comprehensive quality review.

The next reaffirmation of accreditation for NDSCS is scheduled to take place in or before 2025-26.