Organization:Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

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Short description: University accreditation organization in the U.S.
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
NWCCU logo.svg
NWCCU logo
NWCCU map.png
Historical NWCCU operational area
AbbreviationNWCCU
Formation1917
Legal statusAssociation
PurposeEducational accreditation
HeadquartersRedmond, Washington
Region served
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington (state) , British Columbia
Membership
163 institutions
President
Sonny Ramaswamy
Main organ
Board of Commissioners
Websitewww.nwccu.org

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) is an independent, non-profit membership organization recognized by the United States Department of Education since 1952 as an institutional accreditor for colleges and universities.[1]

Scope

Before 2020, when the Department of Education reorganized accreditation, NWCCU was the regional authority on educational quality and institutional effectiveness of higher education institutions in the seven-state Northwest region of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington (state) . It establishes accreditation criteria and evaluation procedures by which institutions are reviewed. The commission is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.[2][3]

The Commission oversees regional accreditation for 156 institutions. Its decision-making body consists of up to twenty-six Commissioners who represent the public and the diversity of higher education institutions within the Northwest region.[citation needed]

The NWCCU also accredits non-US institutions. Capilano University, Thompson Rivers University, and Simon Fraser University of British Columbia, Canada received accreditation in 2013, 2015, and 2018, respectively.[4][5][6]

History

In 1917, the organization was formed as the Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools.[7][8][9]

In 1974, the association changed its name to the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, which included two divisions, one being the Northwest Association of Colleges and Universities.[7][8][9]

In 2002, the Northwest Association of Colleges and Universities split from the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NWAAS) to create two separate organizations, changing the name of the organization to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). NWCCU has since handled the accreditation of institutions of higher education, while the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NWAAS) handled the accreditation of primary and secondary schools.[7][8][9]

In 2012, NWAAS merged with AdvancED.[7][8][9]

See also

  • List of recognized accreditation associations of higher learning
  • Regional accreditation
  • School accreditation
  • United States Department of Education

References

  1. "U.S. Department of Education". http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg6.html. 
  2. "Council for Higher Education Accreditation". https://www.chea.org/northwest-commission-colleges-and-universities. 
  3. "Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities". 2019-02-11. https://www.nwccu.org/nwccu-receives-chea-recognition/. 
  4. Tamburri, Rosanna (2013-06-19). "More Canadian universities seek U.S. accreditation". University Affairs. http://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/more-canadian-universities-seek-us-accreditation/. 
  5. "Directory". https://nwccu.org/member-institutions/directory/. 
  6. "NWCCU Accreditation: Office of the Provost & Vice-President Academic". https://www.tru.ca/vpacademic/accreditation/nwccu-accreditation.html. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "History of the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools". Archived from the original on 2007-04-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20070422115150/http://www.boisestate.edu/naas/history.shtml. Retrieved 2007-02-05. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities History". Archived from the original on 2010-08-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20100819031731/http://www.nwccu.org/About/History/NWCCU%20History.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-05. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "The History of AdvancED – A Decade of Creating a World of Opportunities". Archived from the original on 2016-03-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20160318222554/http://www.advanc-ed.org/about-us/10-year-anniversary. 

External links