Representatives from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) will be visiting UOG this April to conduct an on-site accreditation review.

According to Anita Borja Enriquez, Ph.D., UOG senior vice president for academic and student affairs, after the previous accreditation that occurred in 2008-2009, the WASC team made recommendations regarding areas that the university should improve.  These included its financial sustainability, enrollment growth and recruitment, student assessment and retention.  .

“Since then, the university has had to provide interim progress reports on what progress we were making across those four different areas,” Enriquez said.

According to Enriquez, UOG submitted its last progress report to WASC in Fall 2013. In January 2014, WASC praised the university for making marked progress across those areas.

Aside from UOG’s interim progress reports, institutional reports were submitted, which outlined the university’s self-reflection on how it is complying with the WASC standards of accreditation.

In Nov. 13, 2015, WASC’s evaluation team conducted an off-site review of UOG via conference call.

The WASC evaluation team gave their feedback regarding UOG’s institutional report, which was uploaded late August 2015, as to where UOG stands in regards to accreditation.

As a result, WASC has given several commendations. These commendations included the university’s fiscal stewardship, ongoing enrollment growth, and it’s efforts in first year retention.

Enriquez added that the WASC team also praised the university’s focus and commitment to its regional needs, demonstrating its value in doing public good across the areas of education, research, extension efforts, as well as the different service initiatives out in the community.

Enriquez also said the WASC team was very impressed by UOG’s “Good to Great” initiative, calling it a comprehensive and ambitious plan.
The WASC team detailed five lines of inquiry, or areas that UOG needs to provide further information on in order to move forward with accreditation.

Enriquez said the five lines of inquiry deal with the university’s progress on “Good to Great,” its plans to increase capacity of its institutional research, its annual program assessment, graduate education, and undergraduate student success.

Enriquez said undergraduate students’ success could be the most critical. Student success covers retention, high student achievement, and degree completion.

As a result, a student success innovation team has been established, said Enriquez. It is a sixteen member team that includes a representative from the Student Government Association, that helps students progress through developmental education.

“We’re looking at other ways in which we improve upon the student experience and assure their success throughout their respective degree pathway,” said Enriquez.

“Retention and graduation rates show the academic health of the unversity as it were,” said James Sellmann, Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

Sellmann explained the four-year degree plan has changed nationwide. Part of it maybe because students are occupied with their jobs and families, as a result, this could interfere with graduating on a timely manner, said Sellmann.

The assessment of student learning plays a major role in accreditation. This coming review, they will be assessing students critical thinking skills and written communication, said Sellman.

“The real challenge for us will be the next accreditation cycle, where we have to also assess oral communication, information literacy, and quantitative reasoning,” said Sellman.