Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (Southwest Tech) has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1976 and currently participates in the Standard Pathway.
Southwest Tech demonstrates that it meets accreditation standards and is pursuing institutional improvements by submitting assurance filings periodically throughout a 10-year cycle. HLC comprehensive evaluations are conducted twice within a 10 year cycle and include a review of assurance filings, a review of Federal Compliance Requirements, a student opinion survey and an on-site visit by a team of HLC peer reviewers.
The Standard Pathway 10-year cycle is represented in the Standard Pathway map below. Southwest Tech's reaffirmation of accreditation is scheduled for 2021-22.
Standard Pathway 10-Year Cycle
Institutions on the Standard Pathway undergo the following reviews in addition to the regular monitoring that occurs through HLC's Institutional Update, substantive change requests, interim monitoring and other processes. To determine where an institution is in the 10-Year cycle, find the date of its next reaffirmation in the institution’s Statement of Affiliation Status. This date is Year 10, and the preceding academic years correspond to the previous years in the cycle.
| Cycle Year | Institutional Activities | Peer Review | HLC Decision Making |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Institution may contribute documents to Evidence File | ||
| Year 2 | |||
| Year 3 | |||
| Year 4 | Submit Comprehensive evaluation materials | Conduct comprehensive evaluation (with visit) | Action on comprehensive evaluation |
| Year 5 | Institution may contribute documents to Evidence File | ||
| Year 6 | |||
| Year 7 | |||
| Year 8 | |||
| Year 9 | |||
| Year 10 | Submit Comprehensive evaluation materials | Conduct comprehensive evaluation (with visit) | Action on comprehensive evaluation and Reaffirmation of Accreditation |
Color Key
Required institutional activities
Optional institutional activities
Peer review activities
HLC decision-making actions
Additional information can be found at the Higher Learning Commission website.