UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — John Carroll University has been put on notice by the Higher Learning Commission.

According to a letter to the university from the commission, that means it’s at risk of being put out of compliance with one or more of the criteria for accreditation. The school will be on notice for up to two years, during which time it can remedy the concerns that led to the notice.

For the entire letter, click here.

The letter states the reason for the notice deals with “concerns related to program quality, program review, assessment of student learning, financial management, shared governance, strategic planning and systematic improvement.”

For more detailed descriptions of the concerns, click here.

Tonya Strong-Charles, university spokesperson, released the following statement in the matter:

“Over the past two years, John Carroll University has been involved in our regular process with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), our regional accrediting body, to reaffirm the University’s accreditation. This process has resulted in the HLC reaffirming our accreditation, which we have held since 1922.

John Carroll University remains accredited and is in compliance with the HLC standards. As part of its review, the HLC placed the University on notice, indicating we must provide more data primarily in the areas of student assessment, institutional effectiveness and planning, and internal communication and morale. In the past year, we have already made significant progress in these areas.

The success our University is achieving – from enrollment levels, to retention and graduation rates, and most especially the quality of our graduates – demonstrates that John Carroll University lives up to its mission of educating for leadership and service. We remain committed to our mission and to providing a quality liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition, as we have done for 129 years.”