ALAMEDA, CA – The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) will host its 10th annual Academic Resource Conference (ARC) April 25 – 27 in Burlingame, California. At a moment of intense expectations and significant challenges for higher education, the conference brings together institutional leaders and stakeholders from across the region to discuss strategies and practices to support quality assurance, student success, and institutional improvement.

The theme of this year’s ARC is “Future Perfect” and aims to examine how higher education’s mission and value can be strengthened by embracing a renewed focus on results, dedication to access and equity, and innovative programming and policies.

New WSCUC president and CEO Jamienne S. Studley, who took office in January, said, “WSCUC  has demonstrated a staunch commitment to educational excellence and continuous improvement. Fostering discussion and engagement among postsecondary leaders is critical to building more effective institutions and supporting strong student learning, completion, career, and democratic outcomes, and, in turn, to assuring confidence in accreditation. The Academic Resource Conference helps galvanize and inspire our work together, and I look forward to a productive three-day event.”

Features of the 2018 ARC include:

• Opening plenary by Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, and formerly undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Education, president of Occidental College, and president of the California State Board of Education, on “Hope and Higher Education.”
• A panel on “Fostering Change in Postsecondary Education” moderated by Inside Higher Ed co-editor and co-founder Doug Lederman, with former U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee chairmen John Kline (R-MN) and George Miller (D-CA), Gates Foundation senior program officer Max Espinoza, and former Obama administration special assistant for higher education policy Ajita Talwalker Menon.
• Closing plenary by Lynn Pasquerella, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, on “Higher Education’s Public Purpose: Defending Colleges and Universities as Forces for Good.”
• Sessions on higher education issues with national and campus implications, including policies to strengthen institutional effectiveness measures, assess faculty and institutional progress, support diversity and equity on college campuses, and improve accountability and student outcomes.
• A “CEO Forum” to explore critical issues facing college and university presidents from campus, state, and national points of view.
• Meetings to raise awareness of the services and resources available to institutions through WSCUC, along with educational sessions on accreditation and institutional review processes.

Updates on ARC activities and discussions will be posted on social media and the WSCUC website, www.wscuc.org. Conference participants will be communicating about the conference on Twitter @wascsenior and Facebook @wscuc using the hashtag #2018ARC.

To learn more about ARC, visit www.wascarc.org.

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The WSCUC Senior College and University Commission is a regional accrediting agency serving a diverse membership of public and private higher education institutions throughout California, Hawaii, and the Pacific, as well as a limited number of institutions outside the U.S. Through its work of peer review, based on standards agreed to by the membership, the Commission encourages continuous institutional improvement and assures the membership and its constituencies, including the public, that accredited institutions are fulfilling their missions in service to their students and the public good.