Catholic Distance University (CDU) has been nationally accredited continuously since 1986 by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, an accrediting agency recognized by the US Dept. of Education as the premier accreditor for distance education. With CDU’s growth and expansion of academic programs, its strategic goals include the pursuit of full regional and programmatic accreditation, in addition to DEAC accreditation.   As a result, the Board of Trustees has initiated the process of seeking candidate status with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), based in Chicago, which has oversight of regional accreditation in West Virginia.

HLC will conduct a comprehensive evaluation for candidacy on April 23-24, 2018 to determine whether CDU should be awarded candidacy. The team’s recommendation is subject to additional levels of HLC review and decision-making. Therefore, no further information will be provided until HLC’s Board of Trustees makes a final decision on the award of candidacy. The award of candidacy does not assure the eventual award of accreditation. 

As part of the accreditation process, the public is invited to submit comments regarding CDU to the following address:

Public Comment on Catholic Distance University
Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1411

The public may also submit comments on HLC's website at www.hlcommission.org/comment
Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution and/or its academic programs.

Comments must be in writing. All comments must be received by March 19, 2018.