MSU-West Plains makes changes aimed at removing probation status

Missouri State University-West Plains officials will soon know if the steps they have taken are enough to get the institution’s accreditation off probation.

The Higher Learning Commission placed MSU-West Plains’ accreditation on probation in mid-2024. A series of changes were made, an HLC team visited the campus in late 2025, and a hearing is set for April. The decision is expected by June.

“The HLC site visit process is very thorough, and they have opportunities to hear from lots and lots of people on campus,” said Zora Mulligan, chancellor of the MSU-West Plains campus. “We had done a lot of work in advance of their visit to make sure everyone was comfortable telling the story of the good things that have happened and that will be happening in the future.”

In June 2024, the HLC changed the status of the campus from accredited to “accredited, on probation” after determining its assessment of student learning was out of compliance.

“It’s a fancy way of saying are you systematically checking to make sure that students are learning what they’re supposed to be learning and is that the same across all sections and does it all roll up to institutional learning outcomes,” Mulligan said.

The Chicago-based HLC, which has long accredited higher education institutions in the central U.S., also expressed concerns about the quality of academic offerings and having a system for planning and improvement.

Mulligan, former executive vice president of Missouri State, became chancellor of the MSU-West Plains campus July 1, 2025.

“Before I started, my predecessor (Dennis Lancaster) and people currently here on campus did a tremendous amount of work and made significant investments in making sure that we could show HLC, and honestly show ourselves, that students are learning what they’re supposed to be,” she said.

She said the work paid off during the 2025 HLC site visit, and a preliminary report from that visit was positive.

“The visit was a moment of real pride, even for someone who had only been on the campus for about four months at the time of the visit,” she said. “It was just a really phenomenal showing.”

Two years ago, the HLC said MSU-West Plains was out of compliance because it lacked a process to assess student learning and the achievement of learning goals. The HLC wanted the institution to develop a process to gather data and use it to improve student learning.

Michael Orf, vice chancellor of academic affairs, said an early change was to appoint a director of assessment and accreditation.

He said the campus has offered training and worked to create a culture in which assessment – of student learning, course curriculum, and programs – is openly discussed. He said one key step was to collect data and document the assessment taking place.

“It was always being done, but it wasn’t being done in a way that allowed people to have those important conversations,” he said.

Orf said another step was to purchase a software platform to track assessment data from each course and across the institution. He said ensuring consistency among courses offered has also been a priority.

“They can see where students are doing very well, where they may need some help and where programs are doing well but also may need help,” Orf said.

The two-year institution has remained accredited by the HLC while on probation, meaning there has been no change to the value and transferability of the credits earned by students. However, the campus was required to disclose its status.

“You have to notify students, and that includes prospective students, that you’re on probation and describe for them what that means,” Mulligan said.