HLC Quality Initiative
Northwestern currently participates in the HLC's Open Pathway for Reaffirmation of Accreditation process, which includes both improvement and assurance components. As part of the HLC quality initiative, Northwestern University focuses on Instructor Practica in Teaching and Learning, a series of practica designed to promote excellence in teaching by addressing significant topics related to teaching and learning in higher education. Over the course of four academic years, the practica has looked to build instructor capacities related to online teaching (2020-21), inclusive teaching (2021-22), Universal Design for Learning (2022-23), and reimagining assessment (2023-24). The aims of Northwestern’s Instructor Practica are threefold:
- Offer a unified institutional approach to enhancing teaching and learning at Northwestern
- Cultivate approaches to teaching that are responsive to institutional and broader societal priorities
- Support instructors as they translate their new and enhanced understandings of teaching and learning into action
The Searle Center plays a key role in the fulfillment of the HLC quality initiative by working collaboratively with many units across the institution, including Academic Support and Learning Advancement, AccessibleNU, Counseling and Psychological Services, School of Professional Studies Distance Learning, Teaching and Learning Technologies, and University Libraries, in the planning, staffing, management, and evaluation of the practica.