Accreditation is a process by which educational institutions or units within an institution are recognized for their performance, integrity and quality. This recognition entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public, and the process of accreditation creates a process by which they can continuously improve. The University of Washington is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and more than six dozen of its programs are accredited by discipline-specific bodies.
Types of accreditation
Institutional accreditation
The University of Washington is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), one of six regional accrediting organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. According to the NWCCU, regional accreditation is a process of recognizing educational institutions for performance, integrity, and quality; this recognition entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public. Accreditation also qualifies the institution and its enrolled students for access to federal funds that support teaching, research, and student financial aid.
When granted, accreditation by the NWCCU is not partial. It applies to the entire UW at the time of the most recent comprehensive evaluation. Accreditation indicates that the institution as a whole is substantially achieving its mission and that it meets the NWCCU’s expectations for compliance with accreditation criteria.
Specialized accreditation
Many undergraduate and graduate programs at the UW are accredited as well. The evaluation of these programs is conducted by a specialized accrediting body, often discipline-specific and associated with a national professional organization. Though each of these organizations may have different definitions of eligibility, criteria for accreditation, and operating procedures, accreditation by a specialized accrediting agency is one means of assuring quality of the accredited programs.
NWCCU accreditation standards
According to the NWCCU, accreditation standards articulate the quality and effectiveness of accredited institutions, and collectively provide a framework by which these institutions can continuously improve. These five standards also are key indicators by which institutions are evaluated by peers. Read excerpts of the standards, with additional details available on the NWCCU’s website.
Accreditation of the UW
Accreditation of the University of Washington was reaffirmed in July 2021, after the submission of a comprehensive self-evaluation report as well as a site visit in April 2021.
Accreditation steering committee
- Cynthia Dougherty, Chair, Faculty Senate
- Sean Gehrke, Director, Office of Educational Assessment
- Erin Guthrie, Director, Institutional Data & Analysis
- Sarah Hall, Associate Vice Provost, Planning and Budgeting
- Andrew Harris, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UW Tacoma
- Erik Hofer, UW-IT Deputy Chief Information Officer
- Jason Johnson, Vice Dean, Undergraduate Academic Affairs
- Sharon Jones, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UW Bothell
- Kevin Mihata, Associate Dean for Educational Programs, College of Arts and Sciences
- Patricia Moy, Associate Vice Provost, Academic and Student Affairs
- Philip J. Reid, Vice Provost, Academic and Student Affairs
- Tricia Serio, Provost
- Joel Tobin, Compliance & Risk Services
- Jacob Vigdor, Faculty Legislative Representative
- Kristian Wiles, Associate Vice President for Student Success, Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity
- Joy Williamson-Lott, Dean, Graduate School
Contact
For more information about the UW’s accreditation process, contact accred@uw.edu.
Academic program reviews
Academic program reviews guarantee the quality of the teaching, learning and scholarship of the graduate and undergraduate programs, which is at the heart of the UW’s educational and research missions. State law mandates that each educational program be reviewed every 10 years, although reviews are conducted at shorter intervals when appropriate. This peer review process involves assessments by individually assembled teams of UW faculty, as well as faculty from other leading research intensive universities.
Assessment
Assessment at the University of Washington captures the full range of learning and the depth of the college experience. It includes assessment of student learning, co-curricular activities and resources, students’ perceptions of their experience, and rates of retention and completion.