Last week, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) sent an evaluation committee to our campus to ensure that we are in compliance with accreditation standards. In effect, what we do was compared with best practices in higher education. That committee gave SNC a terrific evaluation.
The visit was part of NWCCU’s regular accreditation requirements; we have worked hard for two years to prepare for it. Preparation for a full-scale accreditation visit requires immense work by all faculty and staff, but three individuals at SNC worked especially hard: Shannon Beets, Dan O’Bryan, and Mallory Kolinski. These three worked massive hours to ensure that not only were we in compliance, but also that we could demonstrate that we were in compliance. They wrote a fantastic report—covering every aspect of this campus—that was 196 pages long, with over 2,000 pages of supporting documentation.
A band of nine suited men and women visited Sierra Nevada College April 11-13 with the task of evaluating everything from building quality and campus life to financial sustainability and academic curriculum.
The evaluators gave SNC a reason to celebrate.