After an extensive development and review process, including open discussions at the ARC (Academic Resource Conference), a working group of institutional representatives, and written feedback from the region, the Commission approved a new process for reaffirmation of accreditation called the Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation.
This new pathway is as rigorous as the current institutional review process, but...
The first convening of WSCUC’s Community of Practice for Advancing Learning Outcomes Initiative took place on April 18, preceding the Academic Resource Conference in San Diego. We welcomed Natasha Jankowski, Director of the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA), as our guest speaker, along with nearly 30 participants from the Community of Practice. Geoff Chase, David Chase, and Errin Heyman represented WSCUC and guided group discussions with Natasha on her presentation...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2017
WSCUC President Testifies before Congressional Committee on Value of Accreditation
ALAMEDA, CA – WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) president Mary Ellen Petrisko today testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Education and the Workforce Committee during a hearing entitled, “...
During the February 2017 Commission meeting, the Compliance Audit Policy and the Cooperation Among Accrediting Agencies Policy were retired, and Institutions within a System Policy was revised.
The Compliance Audit Policy was developed under the old Capacity and Preparatory Review (CPR) and Educational Effectiveness Review (EER) model described in the 2001 Handbook of Accreditation. At that time, a Compliance Audit Checklist was separately...
The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) is pleased to announce our new domain name- wscuc.org.
Links to the WSCUC website that use the wascsenior.org domain will be automatically redirected to wscuc.org and email sent to staff using their @wascsenior.org addresses will also be automatically forwarded.
Please whitelist the wscuc.org domain so that important communications are not interupted and update your bookmarks and address book records...
To conform to expectations in the Code of Federal Regulations concerning accreditation and substantive change, WSCUC has amended its Substantive Change Policy and supporting procedures effective July 1, 2017. The Commission, at its February 17, 2017 meeting approved revisions to the Substantive Change Policy, and acted to retire the Degree Level Approval...
Mary Ellen Petrisko, president of WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), has announced that she will retire at the end of 2017.
“I’ve been fortunate to serve in the higher education arena for more than three decades, including nearly 10 years working to strengthen postsecondary quality through accreditation,” Dr. Petrisko said. “I am proud of what we have accomplished at WSCUC during my time with the agency and know that the Commission will remain a staunch advocate...
As announced by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, effective January 1, 2017, students enrolled in all California Corinthian Colleges campuses (including Heald Colleges) and California residents who were enrolled in an out-of-state Corinthian Colleges distance education program as of June 20, 2014, or withdrew within 120 days of this date, may be eligible for reimbursement from the Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF).
Former Corinthian Colleges students who believe they...
WSCUC currently collects completion data using Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and Graduation Rate Dashboard (GRD) data on individual institutions. Because each of these data sets has its limitations, WSCUC has engaged the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center in a pilot project using National...
The Public Disclosure of Accreditation Documents and Commission Actions policy describes the key documents that are made available to the public on the WSCUC website. The revised policy was edited for brevity and clarity, aligned policy with practice, added a section on the release of confidential documents, and specified the...
