2022 WSCUC Standards
Standard 1: Defining Institutional Mission and Acting with Integrity
Standard 2: Achieving Educational Objectives and Student Success
Standard 3 Assuring Resources and Organizational Structures
Standard 4: Creating an Institution Committed to Quality Assurance and Improvement
Standard 1: Defining Institutional Mission and Acting with Integrity
The institution defines its mission and establishes educational and student success objectives aligned with that mission. The institution has a clear sense of its essential values, culture, and distinctive elements, and its contributions to society and the public good. It promotes the success of all students and makes explicit its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The institution functions with integrity and transparency.
Criteria for Review
Institutional Purposes
CFR 1.1 The institution’s mission and other statements of purpose are appropriate for an institution of higher education and clearly define its essential values, culture, and ways the institution contributes to society and the public good.
CFR 1.2 Consistent with its purposes and character, the institution defines and acts with intention to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its activities, including its goal setting, policies, practices, and use of resources, across academic, student support, and co-curricular programs and services.
Integrity and Transparency
CFR 1.3 The institution operates with integrity and transparency in its operations, and truthfully and clearly represents its academic goals, programs, requirements, services, and costs.
CFR 1.4 The institution maintains appropriate operating policies and business procedures including timely and fair responses to complaints and grievances.
CFR 1.5 The institution treats faculty, staff, administrators, and students equitably by adhering to its published policies and procedures.
CFR 1.6 The institution maintains, publishes, and adheres to policies on academic freedom.
CFR 1.7 The institution communicates about important issues with its constituents.
CFR 1.8 The institution is committed to honest and open communication with the Commission and to undertaking the accreditation review process with seriousness and candor. The institution abides by Commission policies and procedures and informs the Commission promptly of any matter that could affect the accreditation status of the institution.
Standard 2: Achieving Educational Objectives and Student Success
The institution achieves its educational and student success objectives through the core functions of teaching and learning, and through support for student learning, scholarship, and creative activity. It promotes the success of all students and makes explicit its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The institution demonstrates that core functions are performed effectively by evaluating valid and reliable evidence of learning.
Criteria for Review
Degree Programs
CFR 2.1 The institution’s degree programs are appropriate in content, educational objectives, and standards of performance relevant to the level of the degree. All degrees are defined in terms of entry requirements and levels of student achievement necessary for graduation.
CFR 2.2 Degree programs engage students in an integrated course of study of sufficient breadth and depth. These programs ensure the development of core and professional competencies relevant to the level of the degree.
CFR 2.3 The institution clearly identifies and effectively implements student learning outcomes and expectations for achievement. These outcomes and expectations are reflected in and supported by academic programs, policies, and curricula, and provide the framework for academic advising, student support programs and services, and information and technology resources.
CFR 2.4 The institution conducts periodic reviews of its degree programs. The program review process includes analysis of student achievement of the program’s learning outcomes.
Faculty
CFR 2.5 The institution has faculty with the capacity and scale to design and deliver the curriculum and to evaluate, improve, and promote student learning and success.
CFR 2.6 The faculty exercise effective academic leadership and act consistently to ensure that the quality of academic programs and the institution’s educational purposes are sustained.
CFR 2.7 The faculty are responsible for creating and evaluating student learning outcomes and establishing standards of student performance.
CFR 2.8 The institution has clear expectations for faculty research, scholarship, and creative activity that are commensurate with the mission and degree portfolio.
Student Learning and Performance
CFR 2.9 The institution demonstrates that graduates consistently achieve stated learning outcomes and standards of performance. Faculty evaluate student work in terms of stated learning outcomes.
CFR 2.10 The institution demonstrates that students make reasonable progress toward and complete their degrees in a timely manner.
CFR 2.11 The institution monitors and analyzes the success of its students following graduation.
Student Support
CFR 2.12 The institution ensures that all students understand the requirements of their academic programs and receive timely, accurate, and complete information and advising about academic requirements.
CFR 2.13 The institution offers student support and co-curricular programs and services sufficient in nature, scope, and capacity to promote all students’ academic, personal, and professional development.
CFR 2.14 The institution assesses the effectiveness of its student support and co-curricular programs and services and uses the results for improvement.
Standard 3 Assuring Resources and Organizational Structures
The institution achieves its educational and student success objectives through investments in human, physical, fiscal, technology, and information resources within appropriate organizational and decision- making structures, and consistent with its explicit commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Criteria for Review
Faculty, Staff, and Administrators
CFR 3.1 The institution employs faculty, staff, and administrators sufficient in scale, professional qualifications, and background to achieve the institution’s educational and student success objectives, to propose and oversee policy, and to ensure the integrity of its academic, student support, and co-curricular programs and services and administrative processes.
CFR 3.2 Faculty, staff, and administrator recruitment, hiring, and orientation practices and workload expectations are aligned with institutional mission and priorities. The institution examines the extent to which its climate supports faculty, staff, and administrators and acts on its findings.
CFR 3.3 The institution provides professional development and evaluation for faculty, staff, and administrators.
Fiscal, Physical, Technology, and Information Resources
CFR 3.4 Resource planning and development include realistic budgeting, enrollment management, and diversification of revenue sources. Resource allocation is aligned with evidence-based educational and student success objectives consistent with operational and strategic planning.
CFR 3.5 The institution is financially stable and has resources sufficient to ensure long-term sustainability. The institution has unqualified or unmodified independent financial audits.
CFR 3.6 The institution provides physical, technology, information, and other resources sufficient in scope, quality, currency, and kind to support the work of its faculty, staff, administrators, and students.
Organizational Structures and Decision-Making Processes
CFR 3.7 The institution operates with appropriate autonomy governed by an independent board or similar authority that is responsible for mission, integrity, and oversight of planning, policies, performance, and sustainability. The governing board selects and evaluates the chief executive officer.
CFR 3.8 The board members have a range of backgrounds, knowledge, and skills to carry out their responsibilities.
CFR 3.9 The institution has sufficient and qualified leadership capacity at all levels, characterized by integrity, appropriate responsibility, high performance, and accountability.
CFR 3.10 Data are regularly and systematically disseminated internally and externally, and analyzed, interpreted, and applied in institutional decision-making.
CFR 3.11 The institution’s organizational structures and decision-making processes are clearly defined, consistent, and transparent, support effective decision-making and risk management, and place priority on sustaining institutional resilience and educational effectiveness.
Standard 4: Creating an Institution Committed to Quality Assurance and Improvement
The institution engages in sustained, evidence-based, and participatory reflection about how effectively it is accomplishing its mission, achieving its educational and student success objectives, and realizing its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The institution envisions its future in light of the changing environment of higher education. These activities inform both institutional planning and systematic evaluations of educational effectiveness.
Criteria for Review
Quality Assurance Processes
CFR 4.1 The institution employs comprehensive quality assurance processes in both academic and non- academic areas and uses the results to improve institutional operations.
CFR 4.2 The institution collects, analyzes and acts on disaggregated student outcomes data including retention and graduation rates.
CFR 4.3 The institution examines the extent to which its climate supports student success and acts on its findings. The institution regularly assesses the characteristics, experiences, and performance of its students and uses this evidence to improve student success.
CFR 4.4 The institution has institutional research capacity, scope, and coordination consistent with its purposes and characteristics.
Institutional Improvement
CFR 4.5 The institution demonstrates improvement based on the results of inquiry, evidence, and evaluation.
CFR 4.6 The institution, with significant faculty involvement, engages in continuous inquiry into the processes of teaching and learning, and the conditions and practices that ensure that the institution’s standards of performance are being achieved.
CFR 4.7 The governing board engages in self-evaluation and development.
CFR 4.8 The institution periodically engages its stakeholders in reflection and planning processes based on the examination of evidence. Through these processes it assesses the institution’s strategic position, articulates priorities, examines the alignment of its purposes, core functions, and resources, and defines the future direction of the institution.
