The University of Washington has a comprehensive and broad-based process for assessing, measuring and tracking the institution’s academic quality and strategic planning. Here are key components of that process.
Strategic planning
University of Washington strategic planning is based on the provost’s Two Years to Two Decades (2y2d) initiative, the resulting Sustainable Academic Business Plan and related priority initiatives. This strategic framework informs institutional decision-making and accreditation, while initiatives deliver results to the UW community.
Accreditation
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 how more than six dozen of its programs are accredited by discipline-specific bodies.
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.