FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Higher Learning Commission. His four year term will begin in September 1.

Commission trustees are elected by the leaders of its member institutions of the organization.

“It’s an honor to be chosen as a member of the Higher Learning Commission board,” said Steinmetz. “The accreditation work performed by the commission is essential for maintaining the quality and integrity of higher education in our region.”

The Higher Learning Commission is responsible for the accreditation of degree-granting colleges and universities in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The headquarters of the organization is in Chicago, Illinois.

The Board of Trustees deliberates on and decides the official action on all recommendations for institutions placed on notice or probation and their removal from such status, among other responsibilities.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.