November 7, 2006

Riverside, Calif. – The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities recently approved a proposal for La Sierra University detailing the review process for the university.

“Panel members were impressed by the thoroughness of the revision, the significant progress that the revision demonstrated and the seriousness with which La Sierra approached this undertaking,” writes Therese A. Cannon, WASC associate director in a letter to Ed Boyatt, Ed.D., dean of the School of Education and former chair of the LSU WASC Proposal Review Team. “The proposal now contains clear goals, important areas of focus, and well-defined strategies. It is quite obviously the result of considerable self-reflection.”

“WASC’s job is to look over your shoulder and catch you doing good,” says Paul Mallery, Ph.D., director of university honors and professor of psychology, who is the newly named chair of the WASC Steering Committee, of a paraphrase of Ralph Wolf, WASC president and executive director. “WASC will be the bad cop when necessary and the Institutional Effectiveness Team, chaired by Nate Brandstater, is the good cop.”

The WASC self-evaluation process will be performed with the Audit Model according the Mallery. “One thing about the audit model is that it involves academic and nonacademic, it forces you to examine everything, finding strengths and weaknesses.”

There will be four working groups to prepare for WASC:

1. Capacity Preparatory Review (CPR), chaired by Warren Trenchard, Ph.D, provost
2. Support and Achieve University Mission, chaired by Annemarie Hamlin, Ph.D, associate professor of English
3. Assuring Student Success, seeking chair
4. Attract, retain and build faculty, chaired by Leslie Martin, Ph.D., chair and professor of psychology

Pulled from the La Sierra University WASC Proposal are milestones and dates of items to be accomplished:

Upcoming Milestones:

Fall 2006
Steering Committee and Working Groups develop questions and processes for Audit Cycle I, and decide how processes involving multiple Departments will be examined; and send requests to Departments and Processes by end of term.

Winter 2007
Reports for Audit Cycle I generated by Departments.

Spring – Summer 2007
Steering Committee and Working Groups analyze, synthesize, and compile audit reports, and tentative themes emerge; they revise questions and processes for Audit Cycle II. Requests are sent to Departments by end of summer.

Fall 2007
Departments generate reports for Audit Cycle II. Steering Committee and Working Groups collect additional data relevant to issues that emerged in Audit Cycle I.

Winter 2008
Reports due from Departments by February 15. Steering Committee and Working Groups analyze, synthesize and compile input on themes and issues.

Spring 2008
Selected Departments prepare case studies. Steering Committee and Working Groups work with Departments and Processes on case studies; they complete the Capacity and Preparatory Review. The results of these studies will ultimately improve morale and performance among the faculty at La Sierra University. (The audit will be assisted by the following CFRs: 1.4; 2.4; 3.2; 3.3; 3.11; 4.7).

For more information on the La Sierra University WASC proposal and committees contact Paul Mallery at pmallery@lasierra.edu.

Click here to view a PDF of the WASC proposal.