Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The HLC is an institutional accreditor that accredits degree-granting post-secondary education institutions. DCB has been accredited since 1971 and is scheduled for its next reaffirmation in 2029-2030.  To prepare DCB for its continued reaffirmation of accreditation, Dr. Lexi Kvasnicka-Gates (KG), DCB Professor of Psychology, began leading the college’s accreditation efforts in 2017 and now serves as Director of Accreditation and Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO). For nearly a decade, Dr. Kvasnicka-Gates has helped change the accreditation culture at DCB from one of compliance to one of continuous quality improvement.

Beginning in January 2026, Dr. Kvasnicka-Gates will facilitate her third orientation course for new Accreditation Liaison Officers through the Higher Learning Commission. Last spring she was approached by HLC's Director of Member Education and Training to assist in redesigning and facilitating the HLC orientation course. Dr. Kvasnicka-Gates states, “It has been absolutely wonderful to work with ALOs who are new to the role, as well as the Director of Member Education and Training and the Associate Director of Member Training.” During the fall 2025 cohort, Dr. Kvasnicka-Gates and members of HLC’s education and training team brought in a group of experienced ALOs to help facilitate smaller group sessions offered in a live format. This expanded her circle of ALO friends and mentors, many of whom are individuals she has watched present at the HLC Annual Conference over the past 10 years. Additionally, Dr. Kvasnicka-Gates contributed to an educational training video used in the course.  The video focused on substantive change. She moderated a discussion between an experienced ALO and a newer individual to the role, helping to highlight the resources available through the HLC and tips and tricks learned along the way.  

“This experience is not only a wonderful professional development opportunity for me,” Dr. Kvasnicka-Gates states, but it also really feeds my passion regarding institutional accreditation”.  Seeing as passion is one of DCB's institutional values, this work is even more important.  As a result of her work with HLC over the past year, she has also been asked to join an HLC Member Training Workshop Retreat where leaders from various HLC institutions come together to workshop ideas for education and training opportunities through HLC.