Joliet Junior College Reaccredited by Higher Learning Commission

Joliet Junior College (JJC) has been reaccredited for 10 years by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). JJC received a perfect score on its review, meeting all accreditation criteria and federal compliance requirements.

“JJC has met every single one of the core components,” said president Dr. Clyne Namuo. “This is something really to be celebrated. It's a credit to everyone at the institution, because we all play a part in each one of those core components.”

JJC’s reaccreditation comes after the gathering of supportive documentation and a multi-day onsite accreditation visit where the HLC met with a variety of stakeholders and members of the JJC community, including faculty, staff, students and academic program advisory committees.

The accreditation report included five main criteria and feedback:  

1. Mission
   Feedback: Employees are familiar with the strategic plan. JJC serves the public good and employer needs with broad engagement with its community. JJC promotes wellness and diversity.
2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
   Feedback: JJC acts with integrity and is ethical and responsible.
3. Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources and Support
   Feedback: JJC takes responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments and support services.
4. Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement
   Feedback: The College continues to institute change to enhance student success. Faculty author program reviews, recognize the importance and use the results. Annual program updates are primarily used to support budget requests with each request tied to the strategic plan.
5. Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning
   Feedback: The College provides clear examples of how data and strategic planning inform how resources are distributed and monitored. Monitoring the environment closely will allow for adjustment as necessary before scheduling additional sections of courses and hiring of additional faculty.

“I am so proud of this institution about criterion four, because last time HLC came, assessment of student learning was something we needed to improve on,” said Dr. Amy Gray, vice president of academic affairs. “Over the years, JJC has pulled it together with our assessment coordinators — the faculty, staff — really understanding how we document, learning different ways to do it. To go from where we were 5, 10 years ago to where we are now is a testament to the dedication that people at JJC have.”

HLC’s accreditation team provided additional feedback addressing opportunities for growth. This includes assessment across all co-curricular activities, developing a formal shared governance committee and training and evaluation for the Board of Trustees.

“HLC has prioritized continuous improvement, so looking to the future, we'll continue to do those things and document all of our processes and procedures and many successes for the next time around,” Dr. Namuo said. “We'll continue to move forward, we'll continue to be student centered, community conscious and future focused.”

The Higher Learning Commission is one of seven regional accreditors in the United States. HLC was founded in 1895 and is an independent corporation that accredits American degree-granting post-secondary institutions.