Reports from WSU and NWCCU - updated 1/10/12
WSU's Regional Accreditation
Washington State University has been continuously accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) or its predecessor organization since 1918, in compliance with standards for institutions of higher education.
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NWCCU is a regional postsecondary accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Some WSU colleges or programs are additionally accredited by professional organizations.
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WSU reviews and evaluates the entire institution in a multi-year cycle, analyzing our effectiveness by testing ourselves against the standards developed and revised over time by the membership of the NWCCU.
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Our goal is to demonstrate how effective we are in fulfilling our mission and the plans that support that mission. The accreditation process should enhance our own focus on quality and excellence.
Accreditation Reaffirmed: 2009
WSU's decennial re-accreditation was affirmed in July 2009.
A required Progress Report on three recommendations was submitted in 10/2010, with follow-up required in 2013.
New Standards and Timeline: 2011-2017
- WSU is now entering a new accreditation cycle, with revised standards and a seven year timeline.
- New standards require institutions to identify their mission, core themes (or strategic goals), and requisite resources across all areas of the university.
- Specific standards focus on student learning, asking institutions to identify the key learning outcomes for students in academic programs, determine if students are achieving those outcomes, and over time work to improve student achievement.
- Under the seven year cycle, WSU is to provide shorter reports every two years and host smaller visiting teams in year three and year seven. Each report addresses different standards and builds upon the previous reports.