Institutional Accreditation

The institutional accreditation process at 彩神vlll争霸 is a deliberative, transparent process that works with relevant stakeholders to promote a culture of assessment and continuous improvement. Accreditation at 彩神vlll争霸 is not a 鈥渃heck the box鈥� compliance process, but a genuine opportunity for institutional self-reflection and improvement. Such a process aims to connect with the institutional culture and help better coordinate a variety of planning and review processes on campus.

彩神vlll争霸 is committed to academic and post-graduation student success through: (1) an institution-wide and holistic approach to student learning that emphasizes core competencies; and (2) the development of key data metrics to enable the identification of achievement gaps in student success. 

Students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and employers are essential partners in the learning system that promotes the learning and success goals for our students.

Accreditation Status

The 彩神vlll争霸 ( 彩神vlll争霸) is a Member institution with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), and has been since 1974. 彩神vlll争霸's accreditation status is Accreditation Reaffirmed. NWCCU's most recent action on the institution's accreditation status on January 11, 2019 was to reaffirm accreditation. This single accreditation status applies to all 彩神vlll争霸 campuses, including Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula College, Kodiak College, Matanuska-Susitna College, and Prince William Sound College, and their extended sites.

NWCCU is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the NWCCU indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

Accreditation by the NWCCU is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.

Inquiries regarding an institution鈥檚 accredited status by the NWCCU should be directed to 彩神vlll争霸's Office of Academic Affairs at uaa_oaa@alaska.edu

Individuals may also contact:


8060 165th Ave. N.E., Suite 200
Redmond, WA 98052
Phone: (425) 558-4224

彩神vlll争霸's Current Cycle

Using the results of the 2018 comprehensive review and site visit, 彩神vlll争霸 is building capacity to fulfill its distinctive mission as a comprehensive, open access, community-connected, public university that is committed to meeting students where they are and supporting them to achieve their personal and professional goals.

彩神vlll争霸's current accreditation cycle includes the following milestones:      

Fall 2025:  Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness (EIE&苍产蝉辫;鈥�&苍产蝉辫;Year Seven, Report and Visit) - In Process
Fall 2024:  Policies, Regulations, and Financial Review (PRFR 鈥� Year Six, Report and Review) - Submitted
Fall 2021:  Mid-Cycle Evaluation (Year Three, Report and Visit) - Completed

Accreditation Advisory Committee

An Accreditation Advisory Committee, charged in January 2020, supports university-wide engagement with accreditation, particularly around mission fulfillment, student learning, and student achievement. The committee draws its membership from across the institution, governance groups, and campuses. Members have been selected for their experience, expertise and areas represented; demonstrated commitment to institutional-level thinking; ability to contribute to a variety of tasks; and willingness to work collaboratively. The Committee is chaired by Dr. Carrie King, a faculty member in the College of Health, Dr. Terrence Kelly, a faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences, and by Dr. Susan Kalina, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness. The accreditation effort is supported by the Office of Academic Affairs, Office of Institutional Research, and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. 

Tri-Chairs: 

Susan Kalina, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness
Terrence Kelly, Associate Professor, Philosophy
Carrie King, Professor, Dietetics and Nutrition

Members:

Ray Ball, Vice Provost, Student Success
Jennifer Brock, Associate Dean, College of Engineering and Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Matt Calhoun, Executive Director, ANSEP and Associate Professor, Civil Engineering
Rhiannon Calkins, Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor, Administrative Services
Dan Campbell, Director, Institutional Research
Jackie Cason, Professor, Writing, and Faculty Senate Past-President
Scott Downing, Associate Professor, English, Kenai Peninsula College
Mary Jo Finney, Dean, Graduate School
Rachel Graham, Co-Chair, General Education Council, and Professor, Mathematics
Erin Hicks, Professor, Astronomy
Ryan Hill, Director, Residence Life
Jacelyn Keys, Director, Kodiak College
Ryan McDaniel, Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Services
Colin McGill, Vice Provost, Faculty Success
John Moore, Research Laboratory Manager, CAS, and Past Co-President, Staff Council
Harrison Morgan, Research and Assessment Coordinator, Student Affairs
Kristen Ogilvie, Associate Dean, CAS, and Associate Professor, Anthropology
Austin Osborne, Director of Marketing & Relations, Advancement
Tom Rosko, Dean, Consortium Library

 

Deliberative, Transparent Process

Working with stakeholders, four institutional core learning competencies were adopted in Spring 2020.  At the same time, metrics for student success and disaggregation of student success data were developed.  With standards for student learning and student success in place, 彩神vlll争霸 will implement mission fulfillment assessment aimed at continuous improvement of student learning and student success and the closing of gaps in student achievement.  These efforts will be the heart of the Mid-Cycle Evaluation Year Three Report submitted in Summer 2021.  Based on feedback from the mid-cycle site visit from NWCCU and the evaluation of the Mid-Cycle report, student learning and success assessment, as well as institutional interventions to improve learning and success and close achievement gaps will be refined.  These continuing efforts will be assessed in 彩神vlll争霸鈥檚 comprehensive self-study process, and described in the Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness Report, which will be drafted, shared out for feedback over the academic year, and submitted in Summer 2025.  That report, and the NWCCU鈥檚 site visit in Fall 2025, will form the basis of NWCCU鈥檚 assessment of 彩神vlll争霸鈥檚 qualification for reaffirmation of accreditation.

Milestones

Below describes some milestones along the way: 

May 8, 2025                   Annual Assessment Retreat: How Do We Know, and What Do We Do About It?, 127 Participants.

2025 Retreat Agenda with Summary | Slides

March 21, 2025             Accreditation Open Forum: Where We Are and Where We Want to Be, 71 Participants.

March 2025 Open Forum Program | March 2025 Slides | Mission Fulfillment Data | Breakout Summary by Question | Breakout Summary by Topic

February 28, 2025         Accreditation Open Forum: Where We Are and Where We Want to Be, 115 Participants.

February 2025 Open Forum Program | February 2025 Slides

 

THE AGENDAS BELOW WERE DEVELOPED PRIOR TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS MOTION OF FEBRUARY 21, 2025 AND HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED PURSUANT TO THE MOTION.

 

September 13, 2024     Annual Accreditation Kickoff: Where We Are and Where We Want to Be, Keynote Speaker Dr. Jillian Kinzie, 141 Participants.

2024 Accreditation Kickoff Program

September 2024           彩神vlll争霸 Policies, Regulations, and Finances Review (PRFR) Report Submitted

August 19-21, 2024      Fall Teaching Academy and Adjunct Orientation Orientation & Academy

Fall 2024 Teaching Academy Schedule

May 9, 2024                   Annual Academic Assessment Retreat: Heading Into Our Year of Mission Fulfillment Self-Evaluation, 95 Participants.

2024 Annual Assessment Retreat Program

March 29, 2024             Accreditation Workshop: Let's Get Critical!, Keynote Speaker Dr. Leeva Chung, 41 Participants.

Guest speaker Dr. Leeva Chung led a workshop on connecting Creative and Critical Thinking Competencies with student engagement. As students feel uncertain and overwhelmed thinking about life after college, this discussion was a practical session on how to specifically connect two (often) diametrically opposed ways of pedagogical learning: creative expression and critical understanding in course development, design, and evaluation, with special attention to the skillsets established in core competencies. 

March 1, 2024               Core Competencies Open Forum: Creative & Critical Thinking: Identifying Your Program or Service's Assignment(s) or Activity(ies), 76 Participants.

March 2024 Open Forum Program

January 19, 2024          Professional Excellence and Knowledge Summit: Mission Moments (Creative & Critical Thinking)

The Mission Moments Workshops explored the themes of the 彩神vlll争霸 mission, vision, aspirations, and core competencies. This session focused on innovation and creative and critical thinking. Participants delved into the themes with engaging activities to notice how they show up in themselves and others, learning together to better understand them.

January 9-10, 2024       Winter Teaching Academy and Adjunct Academy & Orientation

Winter Teaching Academy 2024 Schedule (Core Competencies noted on schedule)

November 3, 2023        Mission Moments Workshop: Innovation and Critical Thinking, 49 Participants.

The Mission Moments Workshops explored the themes of the 彩神vlll争霸 mission, vision, aspirations, and core competencies. This session focused on innovation and creative and critical thinking. Participants delved into the themes with engaging activities to notice how they show up in themselves and others, learning together to better understand them.

October 20, 2023          Accreditation Kickoff: Preparing for Our Comprehensive Review, Keynote Speaker Dr. Jillian Kinzie, 167 Participants.

2023 Accreditation Kickoff Program

September 15, 2023     Annual Academic Assessment Seminar: Revised Cycle, Report, and Deadline!, 107 Participants.

2023 Assessment Seminar Program

August 21-23, 2023       Fall Teaching Academy and Adjunct Academy & Orientation

Fall 2023 Teaching Academy Schedule (Core Competencies noted on schedule)

May 11, 2023                 Annual Academic Assessment Retreat: Focus on Intercultural Fluency, 92 Participants.

2023 Assessment Retreat Program

February 10, 2023         Core Competencies Open Forum: Identifying Your Program or Service's Assignment(s) or Activity(ies), 99 Participants.

February 2023 Open Forum Program

January 12, 2023          Winter Teaching Academy

Winter 2023 Teaching Academy Schedule (sessions on Core Competencies and closing gaps)

November 16, 2022      NWCCU Data Fellowship Workshop: Using Data to Promote Student Success and the Closing of Gaps, 65 Participants.

彩神vlll争霸's NWCCU Data Fellowship team hosted a series of open conversations about using data to promote student success and the closing of achievement gaps. This session continued the September 27, 2022 workshop. It explored the Fall 2022 Student Achievement Metrics reports, and examples of actions that can be taken at the institutional, college/department, and individual faculty levels to close those gaps. 

October 28, 2022          Core Competencies Open Forum: Intercultural Fluency: What Does It Look Like at 彩神vlll争霸? How Will We Assess It?, 83 Participants.

October 2022 Open Forum Program

September 27, 2022     NWCCU Data Fellowship Workshop: Using Data to Promote Student Success and the Closing of Gaps, 49 Participants.

彩神vlll争霸's NWCCU Data Fellowship team hosted a series of open conversations about using data to promote student success and the closing of achievement gaps. This session focused on what the data tell us, and what we can do about it. It provided the current metrics and gaps, provided examples of student success programs aimed at closing gaps, and framed the data fellowship's goals.

September 16, 2022     Annual Accreditation/Assessment Seminar: Intercultural Fluency, 114 Participants.

2022 Assessment Seminar Program

August 22-24, 2022      Fall Teaching Academy and Adjunct Orientation & Academy

2022 Fall Teaching Academy Schedule (Core Competencies noted on schedule)

May 5, 2022                   Annual Assessment Retreat: Living the Core Competencies, 140 Participants.

2022 Assessment Retreat Program

February 18, 2022         NWCCU Acceptance of 彩神vlll争霸 Mid-Cycle Report (NWCCU Acceptance Letter)

October 7-8, 2021         NWCCU Mid-Cycle Evaluation Visit

September 17, 2021     Annual Accreditation/Assessment Seminar: Preparing for the Mid-Cycle Visit, 103 Participants.

2021 Assessment Seminar Program

May 6, 2021                   Annual Assessment Retreat, 97 Participants.

2021 Assessment Retreat Program

March 5, 2021               Core Competencies Open Forum: Personal, Professional, & Community Responsibility: Discovering What We Are Doing and What We Want to Do. How Do We Move the Needle?, 70 Participants.

March 2021 Open Forum Program

November 13, 2020      Core Competencies Open Forum: Personal, Professional, & Community Responsibility: Let's Collaborate to Tell Our Story, 39 Participants.

November 2020 Open Forum Program

October 16, 2020          Core Competencies Open Forum: Personal, Professional, & Community Responsibility: What Is It? Where Do We Promote It? How Do We Help Students Develop It? , 82 Participants.

October 2020 Open Forum Program

September 18, 2020     Annual Academic Assessment Seminar/Core Competency Kick Off: Transparency in Learning and Teaching, Keynote Speaker Dr. Suzanne Tapp, 111 Participants.

2020 Assessment Seminar Program

May 7, 2020                   Annual Academic Assessment Retreat, 83 Participants.

2020 Assessment Retreat Program

May 2020                       Endorsement of the Core Competencies

The tri-chairs presented a status update to the Faculty Senate, Staff Council, and US 彩神vlll争霸 student government, including a written Accreditation 2025 Summary for Academic Year 2020. Faculty Senate Endorsement. Staff Council Endorsement.

April 2020                      Core Competency Final Naming Survey

184 responses, distributed to the 彩神vlll争霸 Community. Core Competency Final Naming Survey Results.

April 3, 2020                  Open Forum: Naming Our Core Competencies, 52 Participants.

April 2020 Open Forum Handout

March 2020                   Core Competency Naming Survey

226 responses, distributed to stakeholder groups and core competency forum participants. Core Competencies Naming Survey Results.

February 7, 2020           Open Forum: Dialing In the Core Competencies, 62 Participants.

February 2020 Open Forum Program

January 2020                Accreditation Advisory Committee

The Accreditation Advisory Committee was established and held its first meeting.  The major tasks for the spring were to finalize the Core Competencies and the student achievement metrics.

December 2019            Status Update

The tri-chairs presented a status update to the Chancellor鈥檚 Cabinet and Academic Deans, as well as a written update to the Faculty Senate, Staff Council, and US 彩神vlll争霸 student government.  The update includes the final list of 31 candidates for 彩神vlll争霸鈥檚 Core Competencies.

Fall 2019                        Stakeholder Outreach

Over the fall semester, the tri-chairs engaged stakeholders from across the university to lay the foundation for selecting a set of core competencies.  They met with the following groups: Academic Assessment Committee, Administrative Services Senior Executive Team, Advancement Leadership, Alumni Association Board, General Education Advisory Committee, Graduate Academic Board, Staff Council, Student Affairs Leadership Team, Undergraduate Academic Board, and US 彩神vlll争霸 (student government). Members of these groups also responded to the Taking a Pulse Survey, which was distributed to participants of the October and November forums below.

November 15, 2019      Open Forum: Honoring Your Work and Building Forward, 55 Participants.

November 2019 Open Forum Program

October 4, 2019            Annual Academic Assessment Seminar and Accreditation Kick Off: Core Competencies in Support of Comprehensive Student Learning - A National Overview, Keynote Speaker Dr. Natasha Jankowski, 106 Participants.

2019 Assessment Seminar/Kickoff Program

Broad engagement with the new cycle began with a kick off on October 4, 2019.  Over 100 faculty, staff and students joined Dr. Natasha Jankowski, Director of the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) to explore what moving from Core Themes to Core Competencies means for an institution. 

Summer 2019                Accreditation Metrics Team

An Accreditation Metrics Team drafted a set of student achievement metrics, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic class, first generation, part time, and transfer. The team also proposed leading indicators for improved retention, persistence, and graduation rates.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Chancellor
    • Set the agenda and direction and promote a culture that prioritizes student learning and student success
    • Facilitate high-level oversight by the Cabinet and ensure accreditation is an institutional priority
    • Connect accreditation to institutional planning and budget allocation
    • Inform and update the Board of Regents and UA Statewide System
    • Engage the broader internal and external communities
    • Approve all final reports and submissions
    • Communicate with NWCCU
    • Meet with site visit teams
  • Chancellor鈥檚 Cabinet, Deans, Campus Directors
    • Implement the agenda and direction within their units
    • Ensure accreditation is a priority and promote a culture that prioritizes student learning and student success
    • Oversee assessment and improvement of the functions in their areas
    • Connect continuous improvement to student learning and success
    • Connect accreditation to planning and budget allocation
    • Promote alignment of accreditation, strategic planning, budget planning and other key planning processes
    • Engage faculty, staff and students in their units
    • Engage their communities, including advisory councils and boards
    • Contribute to and review reports and submissions
    • Meet with site visit teams
  • Accreditation Advisory Committee
    • Design and facilitate the processes by which the institution engages in accreditation
    • Develop a communication plan
    • Provide guidance in the selection and presentation of data and in developing a long-term approach to ensuring these data are embedded in decision making processes
    • Serve in an advisory role for developing reports and preparing for site visits
    • Provide regular updates to the Chancellor, campus leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other stakeholders
    • Meet with site visit teams
  • Office of Academic Affairs
    • Coordinate the accreditation process and co-chair the Accreditation Advisory Committee
    • Communicate with the NWCCU throughout the process
    • Support the Accreditation Advisory Committee and the Tri-Chairs
    • Oversee and ensure compliance, including federal mandates
    • Coordinate reporting, including annual, mid-cycle, and comprehensive
    • Gather documentation to support the compliance Standards
  • Office of Institutional Research
    • Provide data as needed
    • Design data visualization for mission fulfillment, institutional effectiveness, student learning, and student achievement data in consultation with the Accreditation Advisory Committee, Academic Affairs, and Cabinet
    • Assist in developing a structure of data presentation for mission fulfillment that will be consistent throughout the cycle
    • Build and maintain accreditation-related sections of the SharePoint site (Core Competencies, Student Achievement, Mission Fulfillment, Program Student Learning Outcomes Assessment, Program Review, Student Complaints)
    • Build the structure for the electronic evidence room
  • Office of Institutional Effectiveness
    • Contribute to developing and writing reports, including annual updates to the campus and community
    • Format final report and appendices
  • Campus Community (Faculty, Staff, Students, Administrators)
    • Apply student learning and student success insights into the learning experience
    • Use student learning and achievement data in continuous improvement, decision making, and resource allocation
    • Contribute to the institution鈥檚 approach to student learning and success
    • Participate in opportunities, including surveys and open forums, and provide input, information, and feedback
    • Review report drafts
    • Prepare for the campus visits
    • Participate in the campus visit sessions for faculty, staff, and students