WSU expects to complete its review of the draft 10-year accreditation evaluation committee report this week, part of a process that will continue until the final decision on accreditation is announced in August.
The full report won’t be released until that time because results would be “pure speculation” until the accrediting Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) itself completes review of WSU’s self-study and the evaluation committee report, according to Larry James, associate executive vice president and vice provost for academic affairs. However, WSU has made public the committee’s preliminary commendations and recommendation (see below), although these also may change after the commission’s review.
WSU received the first draft of the report in mid-April, following the early-April visit of the committee from the NWCCU. The committee asked the university to review the report for “errors of fact.”
After receiving WSU’s corrections, the committee will make changes and forward the report to the full commission. The report is advisory; the commission may draw different conclusions than did the committee.
In July, the commission will discuss the report with WSU President Elson S. Floyd and Provost Warwick Bayly and make final decisions. In August, WSU will receive the final report and a letter from the commission regarding accreditation status, commendations, recommendations and actions, if any, to be taken.
Three commendations are included in the draft report:
1. The evaluation committee commends the institution for working collaboratively across campuses and for creating public and private partnerships while engaging communities and industry in developing academic programs.
2. While not consistent across every academic program and each campus, the evaluation committee finds considerable evidence to commend WSU for its commitment to building a culture of educational assessment. Because of the efforts of faculty and academic support administrators, the university is rich in student learning outcome data that are increasingly being used to shape the curriculum and enhance programs.
3. The evaluation committee commends WSU for fostering high quality student leadership, which is an important part of shared governance. The student voice is informed, intelligent and encouraged.
The draft report also includes one recommendation:
1. The evaluation committee recommends that WSU provide contemporary enterprise information management systems that will address the needs of the future for its student, academic and management support requirements.
Another recommendation – relating to the technical implications of using the term “branch” to define the relationship among WSU campuses – was part of the exit briefing the committee provided to WSU. But later the recommendation was reconsidered by the committee and was downgraded in the draft to a “concern.”
