WSCUC 2023 Standards of Accreditation – Opportunity to Comment on Proposal

WASC Senior College & University Commission (WSCUC) 

WSCUC 2023 Standards of Accreditation – Opportunity to Comment on Proposal

November 26, 2024 – WSCUC

WSCUC’s 2023 Standards of Accreditation and associated reaffirmation processes became mandatory for all institutional reviews this fall. The 2023 Standards were developed collaboratively, incorporating insights from WSCUC member institutions, students, education policy organizations, and other stakeholders. At their heart lies a firm and enduring dedication to excellence and success for all students and institutional creation of capacity, knowledge, and investment to achieve these goals.

Since their adoption in November 2022, WSCUC has studied implementation of the 2023 Standards and gathered constructive feedback from member institutions that have been preparing institutional reports under the new Standards. A common theme in WSCUC’s review of the implementation and feedback is an interest in greater clarity regarding WSCUC’s expectations for excellence and student success. To ensure that the Standards are easy to understand and apply in practice, WSCUC proposes to refine the language pertaining to success for all students, moving from broad concepts to specific actions that better enable institutions to demonstrate progress in supporting achievement across their entire student population. The refined language enhances the Standards’ clarity and focus while retaining their original intent and foundational principles.

The Commission reviews the Standards individually and as a whole at regular intervals in accordance with the Review of Commission Standards Policy. WSCUC values the input and collaboration of our members and the community and encourages you to review the refined 2023 Standards. Please submit comments by Wednesday, December 11, for consideration by the Commission. Timely input and Commission action would allow institutions with reviews in process to benefit from the clearer, refined Standards. WSCUC will host a Q&A session about the proposed refinements, and also the priorities and process for new Commissioner nominations, at a drop-in Zoom meeting on Wednesday, December 4 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. PST. Institutions should, as always, contact their WSCUC liaison with questions on the 2023 Standards or their implementation.

Links:

Comparison of existing and refined 2023 Standards

WSCUC Review of Commission Standards Policy