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10-year Re-Accreditation Confirmed

The On-Site Review Team February 2011 visit was followed by a review process and Higher Learning Commission-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools action. The Commission's process is multilayered to ensure the appropriateness of its actions. The process included review of documents relating to the visit by a Readers Panel and final action by the Institutional Actions Council (IAC). These actions were made official September 6, 2011, and are posted on the Commission's website.

The complete Team Report for Western is available as a PDF download.

 

On-Site Review Team Recommends 10-year Re-Accreditation

The On-Site Review Team from the Higher Learning Commission-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools has recommended re-affirmation of accreditation for Western Illinois University with the next comprehensive visit scheduled for 2021. We wish to thank all members of the campus community for this most successful visit. A ten year re-affirmation recommendation is the highest recommendation a University can receive from an on-site team visit.

The team visit is followed by a review process and Commission action. The Commission's process is multilayered to ensure the appropriateness of its actions. The process includes review of documents relating to the visit by a Readers Panel, action by the Institutional Actions Council (IAC), and validation of IAC actions by the Commission Board of Trustees. Only after these steps are achieved in the months ahead, can the University officially announce the outcome of its visit. At that time, per Commission policy, we will also post the on-site review team's report on the University's accreditation website and we will have a press release.

Once again, thank you to all who participated. It was an extremely successful visit.

Al Goldfarb, President
Joe Rives, Vice President, Quad Cities, Planning and Technology
Judi Dallinger, Associate Provost, Undergraduate and Graduate Studies

WIU Accreditation On-Site Review Calendar

The calendar for the on-site review team's Februrary 14-16, 2011 visit to the two campuses of Western Illinois University is now available.

Please note that following Commission protocol, the team requests meetings and has the right to change or request additional campus meetings prior to and through completion of the on-site visit.

This calendar was published February 6, 2011, and the campus community will be notified if there are changes to the itinerary.

WIU Accreditation Documentation

The WIU Board of Trustees approved the Final NCA Self-Study report at their June 4, 2010 meeting.

WIU Accreditation Overview

Western Illinois University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (Commission). Receiving institutional accreditation by the Commission is designed to provide assurance to the public, and particularly to prospective students, that the University meets clearly stated criteria and that there are reasonable grounds for believing that it will continue to meet them. Institutional accreditation is also required for the University to receive and disperse federal Title IV financial aid and assures that Western Illinois University credit hours and degrees are transferable to other accredited institutions of higher education.

Institutional accreditation decisions are based on meaningful self study processes and corresponding site visitations. Western Illinois University’s last site team visit was in 2001. The University received a ten-year reaccreditation with no stipulations about interim reports or visits. This is the most favorable outcome the accreditation process allows. Since that visit, the University received Commission authorization to begin offering its first doctoral degree n 2005 and the University completed its required site focus visit in 2008, again with no stipulations about interim reports or visits.

The University is next scheduled for a site visit in academic year 2010-2011. By using the Higher Values in Higher Education Strategic Plan, we will study the five criteria for re-accreditation and engage in special emphases focusing on: adapting best practices in distance learning, growing and strengthening our two campuses, and measuring and enacting our core values. By the end of academic year 2008-2009, there will be draft reports shared with the campus and external community for review and feedback.

Institutional Snapshot

The institutional snapshot provides a brief overview of Western Illinois University in 7 areas: 1) Student Demography Headcounts, 2) Student Recruitment and Admissions, 3) Financial Assistance for Students, 4) Student Retention and Program Productivity, 5) Faculty Demography, 6) Availability of Instructional Resources and Information Technology, and 7) Financial Data.

Overview of Accreditation Components

Introductory Chapter: The Introduction provides a brief history of the University, significant changes to the University in the last 10 years (e.g., new facilities, new academic programs, renaming of the regional center to Western Illinois University-Quad Cities) and responses to the last site team visit. In 2001, Western Illinois University received a ten-year reaccreditation with no stipulations about interim reports or visits. This is the most favorable outcome the accreditation process allows.

Criterion 1: focuses on mission and evaluates the extent to which Western Illinois University operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.

Criterion 2: focuses on planning and evaluates the extent to which the University's allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.

Criterion 3: focuses on instruction and assessment of student learning outcomes and evaluates if the organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.

Criterion 4: focuses on research and creative activities and evaluates the extent to which Western Illinois University promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility in ways consistent with its mission.

Criterion 5: emphasizes service and evaluates whether Western Illinois University, as called for by its mission, identifies its constituencies and serves them in ways both value.

Federal Compliance: The 1992 and 1998 Amendments to the Higher Education Act, and subsequent changes to federal regulations by the U.S. Department of Education, put into law several requirements for accrediting agencies that seek federal recognition. This section requires Western Illinois University to document its:

  • Credits, program length, and tuition
  • Institutional compliance with the Higher Education Reauthorization Act
  • Federal compliance visits to off-campus locations
  • Institution's advertising and recruitment materials
  • Professional accreditation
  • Requirements of institutions holding dual institutional accreditation
  • Institutional records of student complaints

Special Emphases: The special emphasis section of the self-study is optional and gives the University the ability to self-study in greater detail opportunities that advance institutional priorities. This section requires application from and approval by the HLC-NCA. Western Illinois University will complete special emphasis self studies in the areas of Distance Learning, Growing The Two Campuses Of Western Illinois University and Measuring And Demonstrating Our Core Values.

Western Illinois University's self-study teams will be responsible for generating a report that shows with examples of evidence that the University meets all of the core components defined below, and the site visit team will then determine if the criteria have been met.