GILLETTE, Wyo. — On track with plans announced at the end of 2023, the Gillette Community College District has taken the next step in the accreditation process through the Higher Learning Commission.
As of March 1, College President Janell Oberlander has filed a Letter of Intent to Submit Eligibility Filing to the HLC on behalf of the local college district, which now has one year to complete the next step — eligibility filing.
The letter was required to be submitted within two years of the college district receiving its Post Interview Letter from the HLC, which issued the document on Sept. 18, 2023, indicating that Gillette College didn’t need to provide any more evidence for accreditation and was cleared to take the next step in the process.
One month after receiving the Post Interview Letter, however, Oberlander announced the district would be taking the next step in March 2024, citing the one-year deadline by which point the college needs years of audits and data to continue to eligibility filing. She said the extra time would act as a cushion to ensure the district had all the required pieces in place.
“Accreditation is a process, and it is work completed over time by various departments,” Oberlander said in a March 1 statement. “In preparation for today’s milestone, our deans and directors have worked diligently with staff and faculty across the institution to begin gathering the necessary evidence we need for the next step. This is everyone’s work, and accreditation, once achieved, will be everyone’s success at Gillette College.”
During the accreditation process, Gillette College’s academic programs are accredited through the Northern Wyoming Community College District, per a March 1 release.
