Starting this week, students can be part of Colorado State University’s accreditation process by taking a quick survey. The survey asks students to share their experiences with class registration, financial aid counseling, academic advising, faculty interactions, course content and more.

Like all universities, CSU goes through an accreditation process every 10 years by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a historically regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

A link to the survey was sent to all students via email from President Amy Parsons on Monday, April 3. This is the only way to access the survey, per HLC stipulations. Input students share anonymously through this survey will be used by a team Higher Learning Commission representatives who will visit CSU.

Survey participation is voluntary. Neither CSU nor the Higher Learning Commission will have access to identities of survey participants. The survey will be open until April 12, or until 4% of students respond.

CSU participates in the Open Pathway — one of two options institutions have with HLC to maintain accreditation. It follows a 10-year cycle and is focused on quality assurance and institutional improvement. The process includes regular monitoring, an assurance review in year four, completion of a quality initiative in years five through nine and a comprehensive evaluation in year 10.