At WSCUC, our pursuit of institutional excellence and effectiveness is anchored in a singular vision: success for all students.
Success for every student – regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, geography, or other factors – is a long-standing WSCUC goal woven throughout the 2023 Standards of Accreditation. The Standards were developed in collaboration with member institutions, students, education policy organizations and other stakeholders. Taken together, they provide a framework for upholding institutional quality and promoting learning environments where students from all backgrounds, (dis)abilities, and financial means can achieve their educational goals.
The Standards require institutions to remove underlying barriers to student success and articulate a commitment to creating equitable opportunities and inclusive environments where every student can thrive. Institutional commitments to success for all reflect each institution’s unique mission and are realized through investments in services, leadership and other resources that support students throughout their academic journey. Institutions must consistently evaluate student outcomes, identify factors that promote or inhibit student success, and continuously assess progress toward success for every learner.
Institutions committed to student success consider students of every economic situation; race; ethnicity; gender identity; age; and learning and physical ability; as well as students who are veterans, parents, athletes, working, or incoming transfers, among other populations. Consistent with WSCUC’s philosophy of flexibility in application, institutions are empowered to define their own mission-focused commitment to success for every student and respond in ways that demonstrate dedication to equitable student success.
WSCUC’s Enduring Commitment to Equitable Student Success
With equity at its core—success for all students—WSCUC pursues excellence through rigorous accreditation standards applied flexibly, empowering member institutions to fulfill their unique missions. WSCUC adopted its first diversity policy in 1994 and a successor equity and inclusion policy in 2017. In 2020, WSCUC reaffirmed its commitment to success for all learners in its “George Floyd and Accreditation” statement. WSCUC introduced its Key Indicators Dashboard the following year, pioneering the use of disaggregated student data in context to help institutions promote success for all students. WSCUC issued an updated equity and inclusion statement in 2021 and established the Equity & Inclusion Council of the Commission to drive its efforts. WSCUC’s Equity & Inclusion Guide helps institutions use inquiry and data to advance success for all students. Institutions are encouraged to add their own evidence to understand their students’ performance and address underlying barriers to student success.
Equitable student success remains central to WSCUC’s mission. This enduring commitment is embedded in WSCUC’s strategic goals and infused throughout the 2023 Standards for Accreditation. WSCUC recognizes that achieving equity and excellence in education requires sustained action and is committed to working continuously and with institutions to realize success for all students.
2023 Standards Equity & Inclusion Council Equity & Inclusion Guide