Request for Comments on Policies

WSCUC is seeking public comments on proposed changes to two policies. Click the links below for more information about the policies. Please send comments to policies@wscuc.org by January 16, 2023. Revised policies reflecting received comments will be reviewed and considered for adoption by the Commission at its February 2023 meeting.

Separately Accreditable Institutions Policy

Accreditation of an institution includes besides the main campus all off-campus sites such as branch campuses and additional locations. A branch campus may pursue, or be directed by the Commission to pursue, its own stand-alone accreditation. This policy was revised to be explicit about the criteria for becoming separately accreditable. In addition, relevant information from another WSCUC policy called Separately Accreditable Internationally Owned Institutions Policy has been incorporated into this policy. The Separately Accreditable Internationally Owned Institutions Policy has been retired.

Sharing Information with Other Agencies and Regard for their Decisions Policy

The Dually Accredited Institutions Policy has been retired and key points from that policy have added to this policy: an institution’s responsibility to describe itself in identical terms to each accrediting body and the Commission’s responsibility to review an institution that has been placed on sanction or had its accreditation withdrawn by another agency.

 

Policy Changes

Review of Commission Standards Policy

The policy was revised to include a brief overview of the nature of the Standards, provide more specificity about the revision process, and eliminate reference to a ten-year review cycle that was in the original policy.

Staff contact: Barbara Gross Davis

Title IV Compliance Policy

By federal regulation, WSCUC has an obligation to exercise oversight of its accredited and candidate institutions’ compliance with the program responsibilities of Title IV. This policy was revised to list the areas of oversight (cohort loan default rate, financial composite score, and negative actions taken by the US Department of Education such as placing an institution on Heightened Cash Monitoring) and to clarify that institutions will be notified if WSCUC provides information to the Department about Title IV compliance except when the matter warrants a confidential report or the Department requests confidentiality.

Staff contact: Barbara Gross Davis

Review of Commission Policies and Definitions of Commission Documents Policy

This is a new policy that describes the procedures for creating, revising, or retiring a policy and outlines the consideration of public comments on changes to policies before they are acted upon by the Commission. In addition, this new policy provides definitions of the different documents issued by WSCUC.

Staff contact: Barbara Gross Davis

Separately Accreditable Internationally Owned Institutions Policy

Information from this policy has been incorporated into the Separately Accreditable Institutions Policy and this policy has been retired.

Staff contact: Barbara Gross Davis

Dually Accredited Institutions Policy

Information from this policy has been incorporated into Sharing Information with Other Agencies and Regard for their Decisions Policy and this policy has been retired.

Staff contact: Barbara Gross Davis

 
The following five new policies were approved by the Commission to comply with federal regulations:

Academic and Administrator Commissioner and Evaluator Policy

Academic and Administrator Commissioner Definition Policy

Educator and Practitioner Definition Policy

Educator and Practitioner Review Assignment Policy

Non-Compliance with 34 CFR 668.XX Policy

Staff contact: Christopher Oberg
 
The following two policies were revised and approved by the Commission to comply with federal regulations:

Institutional Appeals Policy

(removes the obligation of the president to determine if an appeal is justified and removes the authority of the Appeals Committee to overturn a decision of the Commission)

Notices of Required Information Policy

(renames the former Notice to US Department of Education of Required Information Policy and adds state authorizing agencies and other entities)

Staff contact: Christopher Oberg

 

November 2022 Newsletter

• WSCUC Adopts New 2022 Standards for Accreditation
• Join us for Valuable Educational Programming
• Inviting Nominations for WSCUC Commission by December 31, 2022
• New WSCUC Staff