Haskell Indian Nations University’s accreditation status was changed to “accredited on notice” following a comprehensive evaluation by the Higher Learning Commission that found the university had a risk of falling out of compliance with multiple standards.
The HLC review found the school did not meet the criteria for effective systems for collecting and analyzing data, and needed to address concerns in multiple other areas, including the sufficiency of faculty and staff.
Being placed on notice allows the institution a chance to resolve the concerns raised by the HLC without losing its accreditation. The notice period lasts for up to two years.
According to the report, Haskell will need to host an HLC visit by December 2026 to show it is no longer at risk of being out of compliance.
Recent Haskell graduate Tyler Moore, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, said the report highlighted legitimate concerns, but that Haskell has been aware of the challenges for years. He said the school needs more support to address them. He said the Trump administration’s proposal to cut nearly 90% of the school’s funding is the opposite of what is needed.
He said Haskell is severely constrained by limited funding and federal support, making improvements challenging. He said Haskell wants to improve and has long-term goals like offering postgraduate degrees, but lacks the resources and autonomy to fully address the accreditation report’s recommendations.
“We’re put at the end of the thread and just hoping it doesn’t snap,” Moore said. “It’s a bit of doom and gloom, I’m not gonna lie. The future of Haskell is what we’d love to see, but we have so many things on our horizon that are just concerning.”
Haskell student Kylie Standingwater, Cherokee and Choctaw Nations of Oklahoma, said the news was deeply concerning. She said the risk of losing the university would be like watching an endangered species go extinct.
“Indian Country stands behind Haskell Indian Nations University,” Standingwater said. “Our communities recognize its importance not only as an educational institution, but as a beacon of cultural continuity and empowerment. We are committed to defending and uplifting the places that uplift our youth, and we will not stand idly by as one of the last of its kind is threatened.”
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Indian Education, which oversees Haskell, said the university remains fully accredited.
“Notice is a common sanction that gives institutions time to address identified issues while retaining full accreditation status,” the spokesperson said. “The university is actively implementing improvements to strengthen academic quality, enhance institutional planning, and expand support for students and faculty.”
The spokesperson continue on to say the BIE is committed to Haskell’s long-term success.
“Haskell plays a unique and irreplaceable role in Indian Country, and its continued progress is essential to preparing future generations of Indigenous leaders,” they said.
The change in accreditation status comes after a turbulent year for Haskell that included the firing of three dozen Haskell employees in February due to action from the Trump administration gutting the federal workforce. Many of the fired employees have since been reinstated.
Haskell’s former president, Frank Arpan, announced his resignation in late May. Mackie Moore, dean of Haskell’s College of Business, has been named as interim president.
Nearly a year ago, allegations of misconduct at the university were aired during a congressional hearing where some congresspeople focused on Haskell’s alleged failures to respond to reports of sexual violence and decried its outdated infrastructure and technology.
Mackie Moore and Board of Regents President Dalton Henry did not respond to requests for comment.
KU remains accredited, given areas to improve
The University of Kansas’ accreditation status was reaffirmed during its comprehensive evaluation by the HLC.
KU met all the criteria to retain its accreditation, but received some feedback from the HLC on ways to improve. The full report concluded that KU is “an impressive institution.”
“After a period of leadership transition and the need to address a set of internal and external challenges, (KU) appears to have established a foundation – stable leadership, sound fiscal practices, and planning processes, combined with genuine loyalty from its faculty, staff, and students – to now build upon,” the report says.
“It really took a village to get through this, but a great outcome and we look forward to responding to some of the great suggestions going forward as well,” KU Chancellor Doug Girod said in a weekly update video after the initial report was released earlier this summer.
The HLC urged KU to strengthen its research mission by clarifying priorities and better integrating graduate and undergraduate research. It recommended improving data collection to improve educational outcomes. The report called for clearer direction on the future use of online learning, noting internal confusion about expectations and structure.
Reviewers also flagged ongoing concerns about internal communication, urging the chancellor to address transparency.
“Concerns exist about lack of transparency in communication about decision-making, the rationale for decisions, and inclusion in decision making by faculty and staff,” according to the report. “This extends beyond formal governance groups.”
In a letter to KU staff Thursday, Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer, Executive Vice Chancellor for the KU Medical Center Steven Stites and Girod thanked staff for helping make the accreditation success.
“Your thoughtful work and planning during the past two years, as well as the incredible talent and dedication you bring to your efforts each day, clearly made an impression on the peer review site team,” they said in the letter.
If local news matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
Cuyler Dunn (he/him), a contributor to The Lawrence Times since April 2022, is a student at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. He is a graduate of Lawrence High School where he was the editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, The Budget, and was named the 2022 Kansas High School Journalist of the Year. Read his complete bio here. Read more of his work for the Times here.
More coverage — Haskell Indian Nations University:
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Latest Lawrence news:
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
