Against the backdrop of unprecedented federal regulatory change, WSCUC gathered over 600 higher education leaders for its annual Accreditation Resource Conference April 2-4, 2025. The three-day event, titled ARC2025: Vision & Fundamentals, created a vital forum for institutions grappling with the seismic shifts. Commission Chair Tracy Poon Tambascia drew parallels to another period of rapid transformation in her opening remarks.

“When we look back to 2020, we could not imagine that a novel virus would change so many assumptions about our lives, our work, our future. Some of our behaviors had to change, but the fundamentals, the importance of human relationships, our enduring commitment to our work as educators — these fundamentals did not change,” said Tambascia.

ARC2025 featured concurrent sessions on topics ranging from AI and institutional metrics to student success strategies, presented by WSCUC member institutions and expert guests. Maria Toyoda, who became WSCUC’s president and CEO just three weeks before the conference following a national search, outlined three key priorities for WSCUC in her opening plenary address.

 

 

“WSCUC is a self-reflective organization, continually evaluating how we can better serve our membership as we pursue our shared goal of student success,” said Toyoda. She also highlighted WSCUC’s commitment to fostering innovation and deepening engagement with its members as additional priorities.

California Lutheran University provost and former WSCUC Commissioner Leanne Neilson, who chaired the committee that developed WSCUC’s 2023 Standards, joined President Toyoda for a fireside chat in the opening plenary. Their wide-ranging conversation unpacked the challenges of shared governance in uncertain times and touched on WSCUC’s proposed Standards refinements introduced last winter.

“Regardless of evolving language, WSCUC is here to ensure that higher education delivers on its promise—for all students. That means upholding high standards of academic quality, staying grounded in evidence, and standing firm in our belief that every student deserves a shot at success,” said Toyoda. “It is ultimately about holding ourselves and our institutions accountable for what really matters: student outcomes.”

Neilson’s and President Toyoda’s conversation set the stage for the following day’s critical plenary, Regulatory Shifts in Higher Education: What to Know. The session featured WSCUC Commission vice chair and dean emeritus at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco Leo Martinez and Julie Miceli, former deputy general counsel for the U.S. Department of Education and former associate general counsel at Northwestern University.
 

 
Before addressing the implications of recent regulatory changes, Miceli framed the discussion with key data points. She noted that while national enrollment increased by 4.5% for the 2024–25 academic year, a steep decline is expected to follow due to the shrinking population of traditional college-age students. The sector’s “demographic cliff,” she emphasized, is complicated by waning confidence in higher education across the political spectrum.

“This matters,” said Miceli, “because legislators’ confidence directly translates into funding considerations.”

Peter Senkbeil, WSCUC Commissioner and vice president and special assistant to the president, Concordia University Irvine, joined California’s Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday for the closing plenary highlighting the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program, and initiative that creates debt-free pathways to college while engaging students in meaningful community problem solving. Kate McCarthy, vice provost undergraduate education and academic success, CSU Chico, joined Senkbeil in highlighting College Corps on their campuses, along with other student success initiatives that foster community engagement. David Paris, senior advisor, Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Coalition (CLDE) highlighted the importance of service learning as a high impact practice promoting an expanded definition of “student success,” including students’ gains in civic purpose, bridge-building across differences, and career-related work on problem solving and the public good.
 

 

“Our society is facing a student debt crisis while our communities can increasingly feel deeply divided and disconnected. The College Corps tackles these urgent issues,” Fryday said.

UCLA student and College Corps program participant Jasmin Lopez brought valuable perspective to the panel. “Incorporating the student point of view is very important when developing and implementing service-learning opportunities,” said Lopez. “We know our communities well.”

Proposals for ARC2026, scheduled April 8-10 in San Francisco, will open this summer.