To the Editors:

Every 10 years, Oberlin College is formally reviewed by our accreditor, The Higher Learning Commission. A successful review is necessary to award accredited degrees, thereby demonstrating quality and maintaining good standing with the U.S. Department of Education and Oberlin’s eligibility for federal financial aid funds. The HLC reviews Oberlin as a single institution and assesses formal educational activities, governance and administration, financial integrity, student services and resources, academic achievement, organizational effectiveness, and relationships with outside constituencies. A team of faculty and administrators has been preparing for the actual site visit on Oct. 15, 2018 conducted by a five-member outside team of higher education faculty and staff. More information about the accreditation process can be found here: http://www.hlcommission.org/Accreditation/open-overview.html

Part of this process is a brief survey conducted by HLC that will go out to all enrolled students on Monday, April 2, 2018 and close on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. The email announcing the survey will be sent from the Office of Institutional Research and will include a link to an HLC-administered site. Oberlin is mandated to announce the survey to students but the survey itself is voluntary and anonymous. The results will be one of many factors the team will use in evaluating Oberlin. The HLC will share the results in aggregate form with Oberlin in preparation for the team visit. Nobody will have access to identified individual responses.

In addition to notifying students of this survey, the Oberlin Self Study team also expresses the regret that this semester will see an unusually large number of surveys. Not all students will receive all surveys, but we do want to let students know that they will be asked to respond to several. We apologize for this unavoidable schedule. All of the surveys are voluntary, but those administering them certainly hope you will give consideration to responding.

Questions about Oberlin’s preparation for the re-accreditation (now formally called re-affirmation) process can be directed to Daphne John in the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Bill Quillen in the Office of the Dean of the Conservatory, or Ross Peacock in Office of Institutional Research.