The key to achieving viability and sustainability is for colleges and universities to demonstrate the value proposition of higher education – student outcomes – to the American public. This will require us to reimagine and reengineer higher education, so it is laser-focused on student success and closure of equity gaps, while ensuring accountability and transparency.
The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) has recommended the continuation of NWCCU’s recognition as an accreditor. NWCCU has 24 months to update a few policies, in compliance with new federal regulations.
NWCCU conveys its heartfelt thanks to its member institutions, Accreditation Liaison Officers, Peer Evaluators, Commissioners, and staff for fostering a culture of educational excellence.
NWCCU welcomes Heather Bennett, Vice President for Institutional Innovations and Compliance, effective September 1, 2023.
Heather has worked with member institutions on transformative improvement processes as part of the leadership team for the Mission Fulfillment & Sustainability Fellowship program and the Student Success Academy at NWCCU since 2020. She also supports institutional innovation through the substantive change process and ensures ongoing compliance with the US Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation regulations.
As an alternative to traditional developmental prerequisite pathways, corequisite models of developmental education are being adopted by colleges and higher education systems around the country. These approaches are producing impressive results and are supporting significantly more students in attaining their college goals.
The Data Equity Fellowship was inspired by recommendations from the national experts convened by NWCCU in 2021 as the Data Council and its counterpart, the Equity Council. These recommendations centered on the need for facilitated, collaborative experiences bridging the domains of “data” and “equity.” Read on to learn more about the Data Equity Fellowship and ways to get involved.
Enhancing our own use of institutional data and supporting institutions in their work is a primary area of emphasis for the Commission over the next year. At the federal level, there is a clear expectation of accreditors to carefully examine institutional progress on student achievement outcomes using data-informed approaches. We will use the Standards as a mechanism for this review and make considerable efforts to support institutions in meeting the same and implementing strategies that contribute to student access, belonging, and success.
Each issue of The Beacon will feature an article demystifying Standards relevant to the overarching topic of the issue.
Given the size and complexity of the Church Educational System (CES), it has been imperative that data be organized and used strategically and effectively. This article outlines the principles that guide data use in CES and then highlights the data dashboard for the system, including an institutional example from BYU-Idaho.
During the last several months, I have engaged in conversations with an array of people inside and outside of academia on issues related to what is incumbent on the higher education enterprise to promote student success and close equity gaps; every one of these individuals, regardless of political stripe, agreed that access, belonging, and success are a meaningful and effective way to frame the conversation.
Like many tools, AI can do good or harm, depending on how it is wielded. We set out to wield it for good by meeting the need for challenging predictions while piloting a process that is transparent, inclusive, and fair.