Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

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]

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
AbbreviationNWCCU
Formation1917
Legal statusAssociation
PurposeEducational accreditation
HeadquartersRedmond, Washington
Region served
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, British Columbia
Membership
163 institutions
President
Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy
Main organ
Board of Commissioners
Websitewww.nwccu.org

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. 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.

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

History

In 1917, the organization was formed as the Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools.[6][7][8]

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.[6][7][8]

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.[6][7][8]

In 2012, NWAAS merged with AdvancED.[6][7][8]

See also

References
  1. "U.S. Department of Education". Retrieved 2010-07-31.
  2. "Council for Higher Education Accreditation". Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  3. "Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities". 2019-02-11. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
  4. Tamburri, Rosanna (2013-06-19). "More Canadian universities seek U.S. accreditation". University Affairs. Retrieved 2014-11-09.
  5. "NWCCU Accreditation: Office of the Provost & Vice-President Academic".
  6. "History of the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools". Archived from the original on 2007-04-22. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
  7. "Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities History". Archived from the original on 2010-08-19. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
  8. "The History of AdvancED – A Decade of Creating a World of Opportunities". Archived from the original on 2016-03-18.


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