July 11, 2016 Dr. Hal B. Jenson, Dean Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine 1000 Oakland Drive Kalamazoo, MI 49008-8010 Dear Dean Jenson: I am pleased to send you this letter in formal notification of the action concerning Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (“the School”) taken by the Higher Learning Commission (“HLC” or “the Commission”) Board of Trustees (“the Board”). At its meeting on June 30, 2016, the Board voted to grant Western Michigan Univerity Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine the status of candidate for accreditation. The action is effective as of the date the Board acted. In taking this action, the Board considered the self-study submitted by the School, the report of the comprehensive evaluation team, the report of the Institutional Actions Council (IAC) Hearing Committee, and the School’s responses to these reports. The term of candidacy is four years. A candidate for accreditation must have an evaluation, known as a biennial evaluation, two years after the grant of candidacy to determine whether the institution is making reasonable progress toward meeting accreditation requirements by the end of the candidacy period. The Board action schedules the School’s biennial evaluation for 2017-18. Alternatively, after two years of candidacy, the School may file an application for early initial accreditation – before the completion of the four-year candidacy term – and host an on-site evaluation to determine whether the School meets the requirements for accreditation. The School may seek early initial accreditation in 2018 provided that it has graduated or will graduate its first graduating class within thirty days of any action in 2018 to award early initial accreditation. This evaluation may be in addition to or instead of the biennial evaluation. Either way, the institution is limited to one evaluation for early initial accreditation during the institution’s four-year candidacy. If the School applies for early initial accreditation and is not successful in gaining accreditation, the School will be scheduled for an evaluation for initial accreditation at the end of the four-year candidacy period, or no later than fall 2019. The date of the next comprehensive evaluation for initial accreditation will be identified in official Commission records as 2019-20. The Board action resulted in changes to the affiliation of the School. These changes are reflected on the Institutional Status and Requirements Report. Some of the information on that document,

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such as the dates of the last and next comprehensive evaluation visits, will be posted to the HLC website. In addition, HLC Policy INST.G.10.010, Management of Commission Information, anticipates that HLC will release action letters related to the granting of candidacy to the public. HLC will do so by posting this action letter on the HLC website. HLC policy COMM.A.10.010, Commission Public Notices and Statements, requires that HLC prepare a summary of actions to be sent to appropriate state and federal agencies and accrediting associations and published on its website. The summary will include the HLC Board action regarding the School. The School may choose to prepare statements to its constituencies regarding this action; I ask that you copy your staff liaison, Dr. Sweeney on any such communication. Please be aware of Commission policy on planned or proposed institutional changes that require notification to the Commission or approval by the Commission before their initiation. You will find the Commission’s substantive change policies and procedures on the website. If you have any questions about how planned institutional changes might affect your relationship with the Commission or about the requirements of the candidacy program, please call or write Dr. Sweeney. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I offer our congratulations. Sincerely,

Barbara Gellman-Danley President cc: Chair of the Board of Trustees, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D.

School of Medicine Evaluation team members Michele Serbenski, Accreditation Liaison Officer, Western Michigan University Homer

Stryker M.D. School of Medicine Anthea Sweeney, Vice President for Accreditation Relations, Higher Learning

Commission