WSCUC furthered its commitment to student success with the creation of the Student Outcomes Overview (SOO) tool. Introduced in the fall, the SOO highlights key outcomes metrics – completion rates, post-graduation debt and earnings – alongside peer and national benchmarks. Institutions that report to IPEDS and have undergraduate students are now required to incorporate SOO data into institutional reports.

WSCUC’s 2023 Standards of Accreditation call for institutions to analyze student outcomes following graduation and to use the results for improvement. The SOO tool provides a consistent framework for analyzing post-graduation outcomes and supports institutions’ continuous improvement. By identifying areas where performance is relatively low compared to peers, the SOO tool also enhances peer review teams and Commissioners’ assessment of institutional effectiveness.

Campuses with Offsite Reviews (OSRs) in fall 2024 were required to submit narratives that demonstrate a clear understanding of student outcomes as part of their institutional report materials. Starting in spring 2025, institutions undergoing Thematic Pathway Reviews (TPRs) will also be required to submit an SOO narrative with their reports.

The SOO tool marks WSCUC’s latest effort to increase transparency and active use of data in accreditation. In 2012, WSCUC became the first accreditor to publicly share Commission Action Letters and began requiring institutions to disaggregate data for programs evaluations. A 2019 Lumina Foundation grant furthered WSCUC’s focus on evidence-based strategies and paved the way for the Key Indicators Dashboard (KID). Post-graduation outcomes data became available in KID in spring 2024.

To help institutions use the SOO tool effectively, WSCUC published a companion guide and detailed instructions for narrative preparation. These resources are designed to assist institutions to interpret the data, articulate a thorough understanding of student outcomes, and demonstrate proactive strategies for improvement.