Accreditation from Higher Learning Commission

Dear campus community,

We are pleased to announce that the University of Illinois Chicago has officially been reaccredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for another 10 years, with UIC’s next reaffirmation scheduled for 2033-34. This significant achievement, following the HLC’s peer review team visit last March, underscores our unwavering commitment to academic excellence, student success, clinical care and research.

This reaccreditation affirms our important role as Chicago’s only public R1 institution and references the critical work we do to serve all student populations as a Minority-Serving Institution. It is also a celebration of the collective dedication and hard work of our entire campus community. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and deepest gratitude to the reaccreditation steering committee and the more than 250 colleagues who helped to develop the assurance argument required by the HLC. The process also involved extensive campus engagement and multiple site visit interactions that involved many faculty, staff and students.

This reaccreditation process involved a rigorous and thorough review of our mission and campus operations. We are delighted to note that the HLC peer reviewers were very impressed with what they saw and experienced during their site visits. They commended us for our mission-aligned approach and our shared consensus about who we are as an institution and why we do the work we do. We are deeply grateful that our mission to provide the broadest access to the highest levels of educational, research and clinical excellence is shared widely and deeply by all members of the UIC community.

The HLC peer reviewers commended our strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, highlighting our deliberate efforts to close equity gaps and our focused approach to enhancing student success. They also noted our high-quality academic offerings and the effectiveness of our student success programs. They appreciated our data-informed and assessment-oriented approach. They also acknowledged the significant progress we have made in areas such as faculty diversity and our commitment to improving the well-being of our students.

As we celebrate this achievement, we also recognize that our work is never complete. The comprehensive review provided us with an opportunity to reflect on our progress and identify areas for continued improvement. We will build on our strengths and work to improve where we have weaknesses — all directed at better delivering on our mission.

Together, we have demonstrated that UIC is a place where access and excellence are thriving. Congratulations on a job well done. Thank you for your continued dedication to our wonderful university and health system.

With regards,

Marie Lynn Miranda, PhD
Chancellor

Karen Colley, PhD
Provost

Robert A. Barish, MD, MBA
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs

For more information, please contact:
Omar Odeh
omarodeh@uic.edu