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.

Member institutions log in to the Accreditation Management Portal (AMP) to submit their annual reports, request substantive changes, and view invoices. The AMP is also used by institutions to update profile information, institutional contacts, and details related to programs and locations

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

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).

Details on the 2025 WSCUC annual report submission process within the Accreditation Management Portal (AMP).

What is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter?

Accreditation Liaison Officers, ALOs, serve as institutions’ primary points of contact and help ensure a strong relationship between the Commission and institution.

Member institutions log in to the Accreditation Management Portal (AMP) to submit annual reports, request substantive changes, and view invoices. The AMP is also used by institutions to update profile information, institutional contacts, and details related to programs and locations.

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.

This policy covers the balance of Commissioners and of evaluators for institutional reviews.

This policy covers how Commissioners are identified if they have institutional “academic” or “administrator” roles.

Details on the 2025 WSCUC annual report submission process within the Accreditation Management Portal (AMP).

Details on the 2025 WSCUC annual report submission process within the Accreditation Management Portal (AMP).

This policy describes the roles and responsibilities associated with the Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO). The ALO serves as the primary contact between WSCUC and the institution, ensures a strong relationship between the Commission and institution, and supports the institution in its accreditation activities.

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

The purpose of this records treatment, retention and disposal policy is to ensure that necessary accreditation records are adequately protected and maintained by WSCUC in accordance with 34 CFR 602.15(b) of the Higher Education Act (HEA).

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.

When several operationally separate units are governed by a single board with a central system administration, the purposes of accreditation will more nearly be served by close coordination between the institution, the system’s central administration, and the Commission during the period of self-analysis, the on-campus visit, and the Commission hearing. These guidelines are designed to assist all concerned in arriving at a clearer understanding of institutional purposes and accomplishments, while preserving integrity and autonomy for the institutions within a system.

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 institution when preparing the institutional report.

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.

This guide is for institutions considering entering into agreements with unaccredited providers and is designed to be referenced in conjunction with the Agreements with Unaccredited Entities Policy.

When an accredited institution enters into an agreement with an unaccredited entity with the intent that the latter will provide services to the accredited institution, the accredited institution must ensure that the services provided by the unaccredited entity comply with the Commission’s Standards and policies.

This guide provides screenshots and instructions on how to submit the annual report in the Accreditation Management Portal (AMP). The guide outlines each report section, describes the data items collected, and provides links to relevant IPEDS definitions and resources.

This Antitrust Policy is intended to (a) identify activities that Commissioners and staff must never engage in; (b) require Commissioners and staff to seek legal advice if they believe a situation raises potential antitrust issues; and (c) require Commissioners and staff to promptly report a suspected violation of this Antitrust Policy.

Role of the Commission's Appeals Committee.

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

The ALO Forum is an annual event and part of the ARC. The 2021 webinar, "What’s New & Lessons from the Pandemic," features a panel of ALOs discussing what they learned and how it affects the future.

WSCUC Vice Presidents and guest panelists discuss the Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation (TPR) during this ARC2021 virtual conference session.

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.

Institutions must submit this form regarding Changes of Ownership, Mission or Form of Control within 30 days after implementation of the change.

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

This guide describes what to expect when participating in a commission meeting, including the commission panel process. For use by both commissioners and institutional representatives.

This list identifies the most commonly cited areas of revision in substantive change proposals. The first section lists issues commonly caught in the preliminary staff review done by WSCUC staff. Other sections identify common issues specific to undergraduate, graduate and distance education programs.

Roles and responsibilities of the Commission's Compensation Committee.

Statement of the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) on the Framework for Competency-Based Education.

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