Reaccreditation site visit on the horizon

Final preparations are under way as the campus gears up for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools upcoming site visit as part of NAU's accreditation renewal process.

A team of 10 reviewers from the association's Higher Learning Commission will be on the Flagstaff campus Oct. 22-24 to meet with faculty, staff and students, while two reviewers will travel to the Yuma and North Phoenix campuses to meet with constituents at those locations.

"Regional accreditation is a key indicator of quality," said Karen Pugliesi, vice provost for Undergraduate Studies. "It is the 'gold standard' in the world of higher education and is one of the means through which we are accountable to those we serve."

Over the next couple weeks, the university community is encouraged to review NAU's recently released strategic plan and the self-study report, which addresses the ways in which the university has evolved since its last accreditation self-study in 1997.

"The criteria for accreditation and the commission's evaluation will center on our capacity as an institution to fulfill our mission in the future and achieve our goals," Pugliesi said. She added that many are eager to tout some of the university's key accomplishments over the last decade, including the expansion of NAU's distance learning programming, a strengthened focus on educational outcomes, and improved strategic planning and budgeting that has enabled the university to invest in high priority initiatives.

"NAU is operating with a strong sense of mission and a focus on the future," she said.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend one of three open sessions during the commission's site visit on Oct. 22. Each session will be held from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Faculty and academic professionals will meet in Cline Library, room 200; staff will meet in the President's Room of Cline Library; and students will meet in the University Union Grand Canyon room.

For information on the accreditation process, visit NAU's Institutional Accreditation web page. Faculty, staff and students also can log in to Vista to explore an online class that was created as a tool to help the campus prepare for this month's reaccreditation site visit.