WSCUC Institutional Accreditation Open Sessions

By Kelly Adams Keller, The University of Arizona
Jan. 11, 2023
To:
From:
Subject: WSCUC Institutional Accreditation Open Sessions
Date: Jan 11, 2023

In November 2022, the U.S. Department of Education gave the University of Arizona permission to apply for accreditation from the WASC Senior College and University Commission. If the accreditation request is approved by WSCUC, the University will switch from its current accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission. 

WSCUC accredits approximately 200 four-year colleges and doctoral universities, many of which are our peers. Notable examples are Stanford, the University of Southern California, and the institutions of the California State University and University of California systems. 

A diverse group of campus colleagues, including many staff members, students and faculty members – some of whom are faculty senators or serve on shared governance committees – have supported the effort to apply for WSCUC accreditation.

The University is hosting a site visit by the WSCUC peer review team at our Tucson campus on Jan. 18-20 in connection with its accreditation request. The review team will meet with faculty, staff, administrators and students, and will provide a report for WSCUC's review and consideration. Strategic direction is provided by Gail Burd, senior vice provost and academic liaison officer, who served as executive lead for the HLC 2021 Affirmation of Accreditation.

For more information about the accreditation process, consult the Accreditation FAQs page.

How to participate in the accreditation process

  • Attend an open session on Jan. 18

As part of the WSCUC visit, students, staff and faculty have the opportunity to provide informal input about their experiences with the institution. Attend the open session that applies to you on Jan. 18 from 4:45-5:30 p.m. at the Student Union Memorial Center.

Student Session: Union Kiva (level 2)
Faculty Session: North Ballroom (level 3)
Staff Session: Catalina room (level 3)

More information about the open sessions can be found in the message Burd sent Tuesday about the visit by WSCUC.

  • Send a confidential email to the peer review team

If you cannot attend an open session, you can submit your input using a confidential email account (see President Robbins' Jan. 4 message for details). Only comments received before or during the visit will be considered as part of the review process. 

For more information about this process, consult the Accreditation FAQs page. If you have any questions, please contact Kat Francisco.

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