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UVSC is Reaffirmed Accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities
Utah Valley State College faculty, staff and administrators were recently commended by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and granted renewal of accreditation. The commission acknowledged the efforts taken by UVSC employees to make the College a student-centered institution, even during times of dramatic growth and financial austerity.
“I was extremely pleased to have full accreditation from the NWCCU as a comprehensive four-year institution,” said UVSC President William A. Sederburg. “This is a big step for the College and the area.”
Accreditation is reaffirmed periodically, requiring the institution to conduct an in-depth self-study and be visited by a full evaluation committee at least once every ten years. UVSC’s evaluation visit was conducted in April of this year.
“The accreditation process is an opportunity to take an intense look internally followed by a review by professionals from other institutions,” President Sederburg said. “We have learned a great deal and this experience will help us plan for the coming years.”
Accreditation recommendations for improvement reflected weaknesses previously identified in the College’s own self-study. The commission advises changes in the following areas: space for continued growth, outcomes assessment, faculty workload, auditing for auxiliary enterprises, student advisement, and equipment upgrades.
In addition to the recommendations, UVSC was commended by the evaluation committee for the faculty’s commitment to the creation of new academic programs and the ability of the institution to utilize restricted resources to address the needs of a rapidly growing student body. The new Planning, Budgeting and Accountability (PBA) process as well as the Ethics Across the Curriculum Faculty Fellows Program also impressed the Commission.
“The accreditation team commended us for our student focus.” Sederburg said. “We are pleased that aspect came through so clearly during the site visit.”
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