About the Commission
The Commission guides the direction and make the official decisions of the agency. The Commission’s responsibilities include establishing WSCUC Standards for institutional quality and processes for review, acting on accreditation status of individual institutions, and setting the strategic goals of WSCUC as a higher education organization committed to excellence, equity, and the public good. Its roles combine those of an accrediting agency commission and the board of directors of WSCUC as a non-profit organization.
The Commission recently adopted both new Strategic Goals and Objectives and a Statement of Commitment to Equity and Inclusion, reflecting the Commission’s ambitious strategic and equity visions.
The Commissioners Bylaws Nominations & Elections
The officers of the Commission are:
- Tracy Poon Tambascia, Chair, Professor of Higher Education, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California
- Leo Martinez, Vice Chair, Dean Emeritus and Albert Abramson Professor of Law Emeritus, UC Law San Francisco
- Archibald Asawa, Treasurer, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer, Soka University of America
- Mary Pedersen, Secretary, Interim Director of the School of Education, Colorado State University
The Commission is composed of distinguished elected members in three categories:
Institutional Representatives
Institutional representatives include presidents, provosts, deans, faculty, senior administrators, and other representatives of the wide range of institutions accredited by WSCUC.
Public Members
WSCUC public commissioners bring perspectives and expertise from outside higher education, including experienced policy advocates, educational effectiveness experts, former public officials, and people experienced in K-12 education and accreditation with other professional and institutional agencies, and also individuals from higher education institutions not accredited by WSCUC. Federal regulations require institutional accrediting agency commissions to include at least 1/7 public members. WSCUC meets that level and spirit of public representation with members whose experience is not primarily or recently in higher education. In addition WSCUC also has commissioners who meet the federal definition of public member who are associated with higher education institutions not accredited by WSCUC.
At Large Members
The new category of at large members was created to allow outstanding individuals to serve on the commission who do not fall into one of the first two categories.
