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Institutional accreditation self-study 2011

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"Regional accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental process of self-analysis and peer review that assures educational quality and encourages purposeful improvement through evaluations based on institutional mission, accepted academic standards, and expectations of the public." -- Ronald L. Baker, Executive Vice President of the .

The Northwest Association is one of six regional accreditation bodies across the country sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Education for assessing the quality and effectiveness of whole institutions. Given that we are part of UAF, our role in the reporting process defined above is to show how we are an integral part of meeting the mission of the university as demonstrated in strategic and academic master planning documents, student learning outcomes assessment, program reviews, and annual unit plans. Institutional accreditation is more general than specialized accreditation in particular fields (e.g., Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs or the American Bar Association) in that it allows us to transfer credits to other regionally-accredited institutions of higher education and to receive and distribute federal financial aid.

How will the upcoming December 2011 site visit from the Northwest Association review team affect you? You may be asked how you were a part of the creation of the self-study by one of the reviewers. You may be asked by your college team for information or evidence that demonstrates we are accomplishing our stated promise to students, that we have the capacity and resources to provide a meaningful educational experience. You may want to help shape the self-study by direct participation and feedback.