This page provides information and resources for institutions interested in seeking WSCUC accreditation.

The Volunteer Information Portal (VIP) is for Peer Reviewers and other volunteers in our community. A person’s VIP account allows them to: create and update their profile; share areas of expertise and necessary details to be considered for future volunteer opportunities; view current team information and see peer reviewer history via My Teams; and access the Key Indicators Dashboard (KID).

A sample of the schedule an ALO completes as a draft and presents it to the team chair and WSCUC staff seven weeks before the remote review.

This spreadsheet provides a sample schedule of meetings for visits.

To become accredited by WSCUC, Institutions must submit the application for accreditation form along with the candidacy/initial accreditation fee.

This guide describes the responsibilities of an institution accreditation team’s assistant chair in providing support for the team and chair throughout the accreditation process.

This email announcement is used by the institution to notify its general population (faculty, staff, students, board members, and alumni, as appropriate) of the confidential email address available for submitting comments to the review team before or during a WSCUC site visit.

This is a template of the language that could be used to notify an institution’s community of their opportunity to share information with WSCUC as part of the review via the confidential email. Submissions to the confidential email are not accessible to institutions.

One of four forms that WSCUC uses to address institutional compliance with federal regulations, this form is completed by teams in evaluating the reliability and accuracy of the institution's assignment of credit hours. During the Accreditation Visit, teams complete this form and add it as an appendix to the Team Report.

A completed copy of this form should be appended to the team report for all comprehensive visits to institutions that offer distance education programs and for other visits as applicable.

2023 Handbook: Under federal regulations, WSCUC is required to demonstrate that distance education programs are reviewed during the comprehensive accreditation/reaffirmation process. This guide details specific elements to be included in upcoming reviews, to ensure that each team is reviewing distance education programs in a consistent manner.

This guide provides suggestions for team members when drafting the preliminary team report prior to the visit.

A sample agenda for the review team to follow in the Executive Session meeting prior to the site visit.

There are four forms that WSCUC uses to address institutional compliance with some of the federal regulation’s affecting institutions and accrediting agencies. During the visit, teams complete these four forms and add them as an appendix to the Team Report.

A webinar for fall 2021 review team members preparing to participate in an accreditation review. Recorded on August 19, 2021.

The How to Become Accredited Manual describes the level of readiness expected of the institution at each step as it moves through Eligibility.

This guide provides instructions for institutions submitting the institutional report, including how to set up a Box.com account and uploading the report and other supporting materials.

This form is signed by an institution’s CEO to affirm the accuracy of the information presented in the institutional report and the intention to comply fully with WSCUC’s Standards and policies.

This form is completed by review teams to demonstrate the monitoring of an institution’s recruiting and admissions practices, in compliance with federal regulations.

This guide is intended to help team members prepare for meetings with institutional representatives and ask questions that will result in useful information.

The Notification of Intent to Apply for Accreditation Form formally expresses an institution’s intention to pursue accreditation with the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Taking this action, together with any related expenditures, is endorsed by formal action of the institution’s governing board.

2023 Handbook: This form should be completed and included as an appendix to the team report for all visits in which off-campus sites were reviewed. One form should be used for each site visited.

2023 Handbook: This guide provides the definition of off-campus locations, the responsibility of institutions in reporting these locations to WSCUC, and how these locations will be incorporated as part of the review or visit process.

This Guide describes the visit logistics for Accreditation Visit, Seeking Accreditation Visit & Special Visit team members, including the team roster, travel and hotel arrangements, and reimbursement.

This form is completed by team members and submitted to the ALO to arrange the logistics prior to an onsite visit to the institution.

The Degree Programs and Locations at Eligibility is a form provided by the institution during the eligibility review process listing all current programs and locations being considered during the review process.

This policy describes the process for an institution to reapply after a denial of candidacy or initial ccreditation by the Commission.

This form is completed and signed by the institution’s CEO and board chair to reapply for Candidacy/Initial Accreditation after the institution has been denied.

2023 Handbook: The Seeking Accreditation Compliance guide is not a formula or analog by which a team will arrive at a mathematically precise determination. It is a tool to narrow the ambiguity inherent in making a complex, holistic judgment. Evaluators should complete the Guide individually then share their appraisal in a consensus-building session at the conclusion of the site visit.

2023 Handbook: The report template that institutions complete as part of the Seeking Accreditation, Visit 1 in order to demonstrate to the visiting team and commission that there is substantial compliance with the four Standards and 41 Criteria for Review (CFR).

These directions and template are for use by the visiting team when preparing the team report for a seeking accreditation 1 visit.

2023 Handbook: This worksheet is for use by accreditation teams to assist in reviewing the institution's report and identifying key issues for the seeking accreditation visit 1.

2023 Handbook: The report template that institutions complete as part of the Seeking Accreditation, Visit 2+ in order to demonstrate to the visiting team and commission that there is substantial compliance with the four Standards and 41 Criteria for Review (CFR).

These directions and template are for use by the visiting team when preparing the team report for a seeking accreditation 2 visit.

This worksheet is for use by accreditation teams to assist in reviewing the institution's report and identifying key issues for the seeking accreditation visit 2.

2023 Handbook: This template is for use by the visit chair in the initial communication to team members prior to a Seeking Accreditation Visit.

This form is used by teams to convey the recommendation to the Commission following a Seeking Accreditation Visit.

This form is signed by Commission members, Committee members, review team members, professional staff, and other representatives of the Commission to denote agreement with the Commission’s Conflict of Interest Policy and ethical conduct expectations and confirm the disclosure of all potential Conflicts of Interest.

Teams complete this form to document the review of the institution’s student complaints policies, procedures, and records in accordance with federal regulation.

This guide describes the role and responsibilities of an institution review team’s chair as part of the institutional review process.

This guide describes the role and responsibilities of an institution review team’s members as part of the institutional review process.

This memo concerns the transparency of information and reports following the review of an institution, describing the type of information that will be publicly available versus the information that will remain confidential.

This guide contains descriptions of the various documents that may apply to an upcoming review and links to these documents on the WSCUC website.

Under federal regulations, WSCUC is required to demonstrate that it monitors the institution’s transfer credit policy and practices. This form is to be completed by teams during the review process.

The Understanding the 2023 WSCUC Standards provides material to help facilitate an institution’s self-evaluation under the Standards; this document complements and expands the instructions in the 2023 Handbook of Accreditation and should be used in conjunction with the Handbook.

This guide primarily describes the interactions between WSCUC and institutions during site visits that take place on the institutional campus. It does not detail what happens during Offsite Reviews, which are conducted remotely. However, some of the pre-visit preparations are related to both the Offsite Review and Accreditation Visit, so there are necessarily some references to those reviews in this guide.

An overview of the timeline and process for peer review teams participating in an accreditation visit, seeking accreditation visit, or special visit, including the actions to be taken by team members, WSCUC staff, and the institution before, during, and after the visit.