Williams Baptist University has received formal notification that its accreditation has been renewed for another 10 years. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) sent WBU an official record of action taken by the agency’s Institutional Actions Council (IAC), with the university’s next reaffirmation of accreditation set for 2032-33. Ten years is the maximum extension an institution can receive from HLC.
The decision for reaccreditation follows a process that includes peer review, evaluation and site visit that was conducted in November 2022.
The reaccreditation action has been added to the HLC Institutional Status and Requirements (ISR) Report, a resource for the institution to review and manage information regarding its accreditation relationship. Information regarding WBU’s reaccreditation was also published on the HLC website (hlcommission.org).
“Accreditation efforts are the work of the entire university and as such, I want to thank every member of our faculty, staff, students, and trustees for their diligence and contributions,” said WBU President Dr. Stan Norman. “Our ability to advance our mission requires all of us to do our part. This is especially true for our accreditation.
“This may be one of the best reaffirmations in the history of Williams,” Norman added. “The recommendations of the visiting team and the HLC Institutional Actions Council determined WBU met all accreditation criteria, and no monitoring reports are required. In every way, this is a strong endorsement from our regional accreditors of our university’s ability to fulfill our mission with excellence.”
As part of this reaccreditation, Williams was granted the ability to choose its next accreditation pathway. WBU has chosen what is known as the Open Pathway, a track reserved for institutions that meet all criteria for accreditation, have already been accredited for 10 years and meet all other criteria for accreditation. WBU has been continually accredited by HLC since 1963.
The Open Pathway allows the university to pursue improvement projects that meet its current needs and aspirations.
The Higher Learning Commission is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting, post-secondary educational institutions in the United States. HLC is an institutional accreditor, accrediting the institution as a whole. HLC accredits approximately 1,000 colleges and universities in the United States.
Williams is a private, Christian university in Walnut Ridge.
