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).

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 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.

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.

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

This form is used by Accreditation Visit teams to convey its recommendation to the Commission.

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.

Role of the Commission's Appeals Committee.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

A step-by-step guide to building custom Carnegie peer groups in the Key Indicators Dashboard

The How to Become Accredited Guide 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

An exploration of data’s integral place in institutional self-assessment and accreditation peer review. WSCUC President Jamienne S. Studley and Vice President Stephanie Huie engage in conversation with quality and evidence superstars Amelia Parnell and Archie P. Cubarrubia.

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 Commission's Nominating Committee membership.

This policy describes the Commission's responsibility to notify the Secretary of Education of proposed changes in policies, procedures, or accreditation standards that would alter its status or scope of recognition or might alter compliance with the criteria for recognition.

This confidentiality agreement form must be completed by observers on peer review teams.

The policy concerning the presence of observers on peer review teams.

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 template is for use by the team chair in the initial communication to team members prior to the Offsite Review (OSR).

2023 Handbook: A sample schedule for use by peer review teams participating in an Offsite Review (OSR).

This form is to be completed by the team at the conclusion of its daylong Offsite Review of the institutional report and supporting materials. The form will be sent to the institution within one week by the WSCUC liaison, and a response to section IV will be sent back from the institution eight weeks in advance of the Accreditation Visit

2023 Handbook: This worksheet is used by teams to assist in reviewing the institution's report and identifying key issues for the Offsite Review (OSR).

An overview of the timeline and process for peer review teams participating in the remote offsite review, including the actions to be taken by team members, WSCUC staff, and the institution before, during, and after the remote offsite review (OSR).

2023 Handbook: This agenda suggests the topics to be covered by the team in advance of the conduct of the Offsite Review.

This guide describes the Offsite Review Videoconference with institutional representatives, including the purpose, participants, format and content of the call.

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.

Guide to peers & benchmarking in WSCUC's Key Indicators Dashboard (KID).

This form is to be filled out by individuals who wish to be considered to serve as a peer reviewer on future accreditation reviews.

The strength and success of WSCUC’s peer review process depend on the generous contribution of insight, effort, and time by hundreds of dedicated volunteers. Learn more about or express interest in volunteering.

This guide explains the rationale for the various periods of accreditation granted by the Commission after an Accreditation visit.

WSCUC has two established means for receiving comments from concerned stakeholders about its member institutions: complaints and third-party comments. This page describes the role of WSCUC in relation to the complaints and third-party comments process with links to relevant policies and forms.

This policy describes the Commission’s practice of regularly reviewing and reaffirming the Standards of Accreditation and the process by which changes to the Standards are proposed..

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.

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.

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 provides a sample agenda for the visiting team videoconference call for a Seeking Accreditation Visit

The policy concerning information sharing with other accrediting agencies, state agencies, the United States Department of Education (USDE), and other international agencies relevant to the institution.

This template is for use by the visit chair in the initial communication to team members prior to a Special Visit.

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

The ALO completes this sample schedule as a draft and presents it to the team chair and WSCUC staff seven weeks before the remote review. Session times will vary, as will the individuals and groups with whom the team meets. ALOs should consult the Planning the Visit section of the Visit Process Guide for more information on the schedule.

The ALO completes this sample Special Visit schedule as a draft and presents it to the team chair and WSCUC staff seven weeks before the visit. Session times will vary, as will the individuals and groups with whom the team meets. ALOs should consult the Planning the Visit section of the Visit Process Guide for more information on the schedule.

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

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

Recommendation from the team to the Commission for an institution on a sanction or Notice of Concern

This provides a sample agenda for the first visiting team videoconference call for a Special 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.

Roles and responsibilities of the Commission's Structural Change Committee.

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

This document helps users understand the Student Outcomes Overview (SOO) by providing tips for reviewing the SOO, general questions to ask when considering the data, and an overview of the metrics included. The SOO is a one page summary of student outcomes data compared to peers and national values for WSCUC accredited institutions that serve undergraduates.

This document provides instructions for institutions to prepare the SOO narrative. SOO narratives demonstrate an understanding of student outcomes performance and demonstrate a proactive approach to improvement.

Responsibilities of the Substantive Change Peer Review Committee.

This guide describes the Substantive Change follow-up visit and provides the report template for teams to submit to WSCUC after the visit.

This guide describes the Substantive Change pre-approval site visit and the template for the visit report

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.

A list of suggestions and tips for teams conducting a remote review using videoconference and other virtual communication. Topics include virtual meeting etiquette and what to do before, during, and after the review.

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

WSCUC has traditionally provided training to peer reviewers on its standards and procedures for reviews of institutions. This policy officially codifies the training of WSCUC’s peer reviewers, ensuring compliance with federal regulations.

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.

This policy applies to all persons seeking reimbursement for travel and business expenses incurredin conducting WSCUC business.

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.

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.

Explore publicly collected, standardized data about WSCUC-accredited institutions.

The purpose of this guide is to help institutions, team members, and staff members write reports following the WSCUC editorial style and usage conventions.