Faculty WASC Information Session January 18, 2011

What is WASC? The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), a 501(c)(3) organization, is recognized as one of six regional associations that accredit public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the United States. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), a 501(c)(3) organization, is recognized as one of six regional associations that accredit public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the United States. The Western region covers institutions in California and Hawaii, and areas of the Pacific and East Asia where American/International schools or colleges may apply to it for service.

What is WASC Accreditation? Regional Accreditation is a form of institutional accreditation that involves a comprehensive review of all institutional functions. Regional accrediting organizations do not accredit individual programs, although new programs are actively reviewed through the substantive change process. Voluntary, non-governmental, institutional accreditation, as practiced by WASC and other regional commissions, is a unique characteristic of American education. Accreditation is granted at the completion of a peer review process, and assures the educational community, the general public, and other organizations that an accredited institution has met high standards of quality and effectiveness.

Why are we on Probation? Probation is a determination that an institution has been found to have serious issues of noncompliance with one or more Commission Standards. CDU failed to demonstrate that we are in compliance with each of WASC’s 4 standards

How do we get out of Probation? We need to follow the WASC accreditation standards and implement all of their recommendations. CDU must demonstrate at the time of 2011 Special Visit that it is in compliance with all Commission Standards and has demonstrated that it has the resources, organizational arrangements, academic standards and processes necessary to give assurance of continuous self-monitoring, as well as the continued stability of its purposes, programs, faculty and staff, and financial and physical resources for a minimum of five years.

WASC Standards I and II Standard I: Defining Institutional Purposes and Ensuring Educational Objectives –Institutional Purposes –Integrity Standard II: Achieving Educational Objectives through Core Functions –Teaching and Learning –Scholarship and Creative Activity –Support for Student Learning

WASC Standards III and IV Standard III: Developing and Applying Resources and Organizational Structures to Ensure Sustainability –Faculty and Staff –Fiscal, Physical, and Information Resources –Organizational Structures and Decision-Making Processes Standard IV: Creating an Organization Committed to Learning and Improvement –Strategic Thinking and Planning –Commitment to Learning and Improvement

How do we get out of Probation? We need to follow the WASC accreditation standards and implement all of their recommendations. CDU must demonstrate at the time of 2011 Special Visit that it is in compliance with all Commission Standards and has demonstrated that it has the resources, organizational arrangements, academic standards and processes necessary to give assurance of continuous self-monitoring, as well as the continued stability of its purposes, programs, faculty and staff, and financial and physical resources for a minimum of five years.

So, What can happen? WASC has only a particular set of actions it can take…. Grant Candidacy or Initial Accreditation Deny Candidacy or Initial Accreditation Defer Action Continue Accreditation between the Capacity and Preparatory Review and the Educational Effectiveness Review Reaffirm Accreditation Issue a Formal Notice of Concern Issue a Warning Impose Probation Issue an Order to Show Cause Terminate Accreditation WASC has only a particular set of actions it can take…. Grant Candidacy or Initial Accreditation Deny Candidacy or Initial Accreditation Defer Action Continue Accreditation between the Capacity and Preparatory Review and the Educational Effectiveness Review Reaffirm Accreditation Issue a Formal Notice of Concern Issue a Warning Impose Probation Issue an Order to Show Cause Terminate Accreditation

What’s next, then? Three potential outcomes: –Reaffirm Accreditation –Issue an Order to Show Cause –Terminate Accreditation

Reaffirmation Reaffirmation of accreditation occurs at the completion of the comprehensive review cycle (following the EER) or when an institution is taken off of a sanction. It indicates that the Commission has found that an institution has met or exceeded the expectations of the Standards and the Core Commitments to Institutional Capacity and Educational Effectiveness. Reaffirmation is granted for up to ten years and may be accompanied by a request for interim reports and/or special visits, or a formal Notice of Concern.

Formal Notice of Concern This action provides notice to an institution that, while it currently meets WASC Standards, it is in danger of being found out of compliance with one or more Standards if current trends continue. A formal Notice of Concern may also be issued when an institution is removed from a sanction and the Commission wishes to emphasize the need for continuing progress and monitoring. Institutions issued a formal Notice of Concern have a special visit within four years to assess progress. If the Commission’s concerns are not addressed by the time of the visit, a sanction is imposed.

Order to Show Cause An Order to Show Cause is a decision by the Commission to terminate the accreditation of the institution within a maximum period of one year from the date of the Order, unless the institution can show cause why such action should not be taken. Such an Order may be issued when an institution is found to be in substantial noncompliance with one or more Commission Standards or, having been placed on Warning or Probation for at least one year, has not been found to have made sufficient progress to come into compliance with the Standards. In response to the Order, the institution has the burden of proving why its candidacy or accreditation should not be terminated. The institution must demonstrate that it has responded satisfactorily to Commission concerns, has come into compliance with all Commission Standards, and will likely be able to sustain compliance.

Terminate Accreditation A decision to terminate accreditation is made by the Commission when an institution has been found to be seriously out of compliance with one or more Standards. Although not required, a decision to terminate may be made after an Order to Show Cause or another sanction has been imposed and the institution has failed to come into compliance. When accreditation is terminated, a specific date of implementation is specified. An action to terminate accreditation is subject to both the Commission review procedures and the WASC appeals process. If an institution closes after a termination action, the institution must comply with federal requirements and WASC policies about teach-out arrangements.

This CAN happen to us A number of colleges HAVE lost their accreditation, even after working very hard to change their university Recent WASC accreditation losses: University of West Los Angeles (2006); New College of California (2008) –The New College story: California California California

What does this visit mean? WASC wants to see if we are in compliance with the four standards Particularly, they are interested to see if we have rectified the issues they observed in five major areas: –Open Communication with WASC and the CDU community –Presidential and Board Leadership –Financial Stability, Planning, and Management –Faculty Governance, Policies, and Development –Assessment of Student Learning and Student Success and University Endeavors

How can I help? READ THE DOCUMENTS! –Be familiar with the correspondence between CDU and WASC especially the 7/9/09 letter from WASC and the Special Visit Report from 12/10 Understand how the WASC standards apply to your role as a faculty member, whether a teacher, researcher, or clinician Be prepared for the visit with evidence of compliance with WASC’s standards Be available for the WASC visit and for work that needs to be done Participate in meetings and in making change happen