The 2013 Handbook is designed to serve several purposes: to present the Commission’s Core Commitments and Standards of Accreditation; to guide institutions through the institutional review process; and to assist review teams at each stage of review.

The WSCUC 2023 Handbook provides information on the 2023 Standards, the Institutional Review Process for Reaffirmation, and Commission Decisions.

This page provides access to data on WSCUC accredited institutions, information about WSCUC data initiatives such as peer benchmarking, and highlights of WSCUC’s “Better Conversations, Better Data” initiative.

The Key Indicators Dashboard (KID) presents detailed trend and comparative information on WSCUC’s accredited undergraduate and graduate institutions in a clear, easy to use format. KID displays from federal data sets to present multiple years of metrics, trend data, and comparisons based on both national and WSCUC averages. KID provides integrated, accessible data on institution size and context, student completion, student finances, institution finances, and post-graduation outcomes.

Information on how institutions need to report and seek approval of changes to their mission, educational programs, scope, control or organizational structure.

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).

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).

This document provides an overview of Key Indicators Dashboard (KID), including a description of the dashboard, the content, and how the dashboard is used as part of the accreditation process.

Roles and responsibilities of the Commission's Accreditation Policy & Procedure Committee.

WSCUC’s Accreditation Resource Conference (ARC) is an annual gathering of WSCUC and the broader higher education community that focuses on issues of critical importance and features presentations and content geared towards accreditation and institutional improvement.

This form is used by Accreditation Visit and Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation Visit teams to convey its recommendation to the Commission.

2023 Handbook: This sample email template is for use by the visit chair in the initial communication to team members.

2023 Handbook: These directions and template are for use by the visiting team when preparing the team report.

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

This provides a sample agenda for the first review team videoconference meeting for an Accreditation Visit.

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.

Role of the Commission's Appeals Committee.

WSCUC’s Accreditation Resource Conference (ARC) is an annual gathering of WSCUC and the broader higher education community that focuses on issues of critical importance and features presentations and content geared towards accreditation and institutional improvement.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of education and technology, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) presents both opportunities and challenges for the accreditation process.

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.

Roles and responsibilities of the Commission's Audit Committee.

The formal bylaws adopted by the Commission describe its governance structure.

Roles and responsibilities of the Commission's Compensation Committee.

This form is used to submit a complaint to WSCUC and includes the submission instructions and links to relevant policy documents.

WSCUC has two established means for receiving comments from concerned stakeholders about its member institutions: complaints and third-party comments. This document describes the WSCUC policy related to complaints and third-party comments as it pertains to member institutions and other parties in the process.

2023 Handbook: This worksheet serves two purposes: 1) To provide reviewers ready access to evidence that the institution is in compliance with Commission Standards 2) To prompt conversation within the institution regarding institutional capacity and infrastructure, strengths, weaknesses, priorities, and plans for ensuring compliance with the Standards.

This policy describes the duty to avoid conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest applying to all participants in the accreditation process pertaining to an institution. This includes individuals who are selected to serve on review teams, Commissioners, committee and panel members, working group members, staff members, consultants, and any other individual who acts on behalf of the Commission. It complements Commission expecations related to ethical conduct.

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

The KI Fields and Definitions dictionary provides definitions of the KI data elements and documents the sources of the data.

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.

WSCUC offers a variety of educational programming to help expand the skills of our community, including the Accreditation Resource Conference (ARC), the Assessment Leadership Academy (ALA), and webinars and workshops on various relevant topics.

The Eligibility Criteria to the Standards Comparison guide speaks to the alignment between the Eligibility Criteria and the Criteria for Review described in the 2013 Standards of Accreditation established by WSCUC. It shows that the Criteria anticipate the Standards; it does not suggest that meeting the Criteria (result of a paper review) constitutes assurance that the institution will meet the Standards (result of a self-study and on-site review).

The Eligibility Review Committee (ERC), a peer review committee, conducts reviews of the applications received from institutions seeking eligibility.

Roles and responsibilities of the Commission's Executive Committee.

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

Representatives of WSCUC submit this form for reimbursement out-of-pocket expenses incurred while attending meetings of the Commission, when serving on accreditation review teams, or performing other assigned duties.

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.

Roles and responsibilities of the Commission's Finance & Operations Committee.

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

The policy for WSCUC staff, peer evaluators, and commissioners related to the receipt of gifts from eligible, candidate, and accredited institutions.

Roles and responsibilities of the Commission's Governance Committee.

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

WSUC has traditionally invited and included institutional responses to team reports in Commission materials for review of institutions. This policy establishes that such communications are officially part of the institutional record, complying with Department of Education requirements.

The Interim Report Committee (IRC) reviews Interim Reports and supporting documents that have been requested by the Commission.

Worksheet used by the Interim Report Committee (IRC) when evaluating a proposal.

Roles and responsibilities of the Commission's International Accreditation Committee.

The KI Tip Sheets for Teams provides tips for how to use Key Indicators (KI) reports as part of an accreditation review, general questions to consider when reviewing and discussing the KI data, and specific questions related to the CFRs