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Mission & Accreditation

Mission

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College offers an inclusive, supportive, and affordable environment that empowers students to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in work, life, and the pursuit of lifelong learning.

Vision

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be a premier institution of higher education and a driving force in regional growth, positioning students to be recognized as highly competent and exceptional members of the community and workforce.

Values

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College strives to be a community of learners where every student, employee, and community member is respected and supported. The College is deeply committed to the following values:

  • Student Success – creating a student-centered environment where individuals are challenged, encouraged, and supported to achieve their educational, professional, and personal goals as well as develop a spirit of intellectual curiosity and a commitment to lifelong learning.
  • Quality & Accountability – establishing performance standards throughout the institution, developing measures to document effectiveness along with a commitment to continuous improvement in pursuit of excellence.
  • Integrity & Ethics – holding each member of the organization to high professional and personal standards.
  • Collaboration & Collegiality – informing and involving members of the College community in discussion and problem-solving at all levels in an atmosphere marked by civility and cordiality conducted with respect for personal and professional differences remembering the value of humor and humility as well.
  • Responsiveness to Diverse and Changing Community Needs – creating a positive culture that safeguards equity, inclusion, dignity, and respect for all while developing innovative and creative responses to the region’s dynamic economic, workforce, and social needs based on interactions with all segments of the community. We respect and seek out inclusion of differences, realizing we can learn from others as partners in our community.

Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILO)

Associate degree graduates will have demonstrated an appropriate level of academic and professional competence to the college and community. They will have mastered the following general education competencies: the knowledge and skills that they encounter through learning opportunities necessary for success in college, their work, and as lifelong learners.

  • Critical Analysis & Reasoning
  • Cultural Awareness & Diverse Perspectives
  • Effective Communication
  • Information Literacy
  • Scientific/Quantitative Reasoning
  • Technological Competency
  • Values & Ethics

Graduates at all award levels (i.e., associate degree, diploma, or certificate) will be able to demonstrate the fundamental knowledge and integration of ideas, methods, and theory and practice as measured by the specific program learning objectives, appropriate for their award-level:

Disciplinary Knowledge — Students must demonstrate success in academic discipline-specific coursework that provides varied and intentional learning experiences to facilitate the attainment of fundamental knowledge, skills, and attitudes that foster effective citizenship, work, or continued learning.

Accreditation

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation.