WSCUC Accreditation Steering Committee

Reaffirmation of the Steering Committee

Purpose: USF is up for reaffirmation of WSCUC accreditation starting spring 2018. The planning process is underway. The reaffirmation process typically lasts at least two years and begins with a self-study where institutions review their compliance with the 2013 Standards of Accreditation and applicable federal regulations. Institutions then demonstrate that compliance in an Institutional Report. The Steering Committee is asked to lead the self-study, guide any work necessary to improve compliance, and draft the Institutional Report.

[January 2019 Update] The Steering Committee concluded its work in late 2018 by reviewing the recommendations made by the WSCUC Review Team and considering ways to address those recommendations (see Current WSCUC Reaccreditation Process). Some members of the Steering Committee have joined the Communication Strategies Working Group (see Recommendation 4 - Communication Action Plan).

Charge: The Steering Committee will:

  1. Steer USF self-study
  2. Complete review under the WSCUC Standards
  3. Create task list to improve compliance with criteria for accreditation, with timeline for completion
  4. Oversee and monitor completion of tasks to improve compliance with criteria for accreditation
  5. Write the 8 sections of the Report

Membership: An effective self-study requires broad engagement of the institutional community. Therefore, the Self-study Steering Committee represents different stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and administration. In the course of the self-study, the steering committee will also involve students, alumni, community partners, and other stakeholders as appropriate. The current members of the Steering Committee are:

Deborah Panter, JD (Chair)
Director of Educational Effectiveness and Assessment
Office of the Provost

Shawn P. Calhoun, Ed.D.
Associate Dean
Gleeson Library

Michael J. Harrington
Associate Vice Provost Planning and Budget,
Center for Institutional Planning and Effectiveness (CIPE)

Charlene Lobo Soriano, Ed.D.
Associate Dean
Retention and Persistence Programs, Success Coach, Director of Academic Development and Technical Innovation in Advising 

Rhonda V. Magee, JD
Professor
School of Law

Kevin A. McLemore, Ph.D.
Associate Director of Assessment
Office of the Provost

Mark D. Meritt, Ph.D.
Professor of Rhetoric and Language
College of Arts and Sciences

Peggy K. Takahashi, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs
School of Management

Scott Ziehm, DNP
Associate Dean for Pre-Licensure Programs and Accreditation
School of Nursing and Health Professions