By Tara Roanhorse | June 30, 2025 | Haskell Indian Nations University
Just three months after Haskell Indian Nations University lost about 30% of its faculty, university leadership has shared an update on the school’s accreditation status.
In a letter dated May 20, Haskell President Frank Arpan announced that the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is recommending “continued accreditation with monitoring” a notable shift from an earlier, more serious recommendation of “accredited on probation.”
The update follows the HLC Review Team’s visit to campus on Dec. 2–3, 2024. That initial visit led to a report recommending probation, citing several concerns including academic advising, communication, the complaint process, and program assessment.
Although Haskell officials acknowledged some of the issues raised, they disagreed with key portions of the review and submitted a formal response, including a detailed assurance argument and supporting documentation.
On April 29, university leadership met with the HLC’s Institutional Actions Council (IAC) to clarify their position and outline steps being taken to address the concerns. The IAC ultimately overruled the harsher recommendation and opted for continued accreditation with monitoring, meaning the university remains fully accredited but will undergo additional oversight.
“The HLC IAC committee ratings differed from the HLC Review Team ratings in several areas, which is the reason for the change in recommendation,” Arpan wrote. He said the university will share all related documents including the final report, team evaluations, and Haskell’s institutional responses once the process concludes.
The final decision will be made by the HLC Board of Trustees at its late June meeting.
Arpan emphasized that the areas flagged by the commission—particularly student advising, transparency in the complaint process, and assessment of academic outcomes—“will remain a focus for improvement.”
As the university awaits the board’s final ruling, questions remain about how the combination of faculty cuts and increased HLC scrutiny will shape Haskell’s future. Still, the move from probation to monitoring offers cautious optimism for students, faculty, and the broader Native higher education community.
