The University of Southern Nevada has been granted Initial Accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, a recognition that puts USN in line with other quality academic institutions nationwide. The NWCCU is a nationally recognized regional accrediting agency for post-secondary institutions. The effective date of accreditation for USN is Sept. 1, 2008.
“We are very proud to achieve accreditation by the NWCCU,” said Dr. Harry Rosenberg, Pharm.D., Ph.D., president of USN. “Our administration, faculty and staff have strived to develop an exceptional higher-education institution of the utmost academic standards, fulfilling its mission to graduate competent, high-quality and caring healthcare and business professionals to serve Nevada and our surrounding regions. NWCCU accreditation adds tremendous value to our four academic programs and marks a significant milestone for USN.”
The university has been working towards accreditation for nearly three years. In 2005, USN began the important process of attaining accreditation through the NWCCU, one of six recognized regional accrediting organizations in the nation that review degree-granting non-profit and for-profit institutions. In October of that same year, the NWCCU held its first comprehensive evaluation visit to USN and was subsequently granted candidacy status in January 2006. The NWCCU conducted scheduled site visits in 2007 and, most recently, in October 2008 with the purpose of evaluating USN for initial accreditation.
Regional accreditation has several fundamental purposes: it reaffirms a commitment to quality assurance and ongoing institutional and program improvement. The status of accreditation also reflects excellence in education, focus on quality, and commitment to standards and accountability. Most of all, it assures each past, present and future student that the institution has approved programs of study, qualified instructors, adequate facilities, approved recruitment and admissions policies, and operates on a sound financial basis.
Regional accreditation qualifies MBA students for full or partial tuition reimbursement or assistance by their employers. Additionally, accreditation qualifies the university and enrolled students for access to federal and state financial aid program funds to support teaching, research and student aid. Accreditation is also important for acceptance and transfer of college credit, and is a prerequisite for starting many graduate and professional programs.
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) is an independent, non-profit membership organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as the regional authority on educational quality and institutional effectiveness of higher education institutions in the seven-state Northwest region of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. It fulfills its mission by establishing accreditation criteria and evaluation procedures by which institutions are reviewed.
The commission oversees regional accreditation for 162 institutions. Its decision-making body consists of up to 26 commissioners who represent the public and the diversity of higher education institutions within the Northwest region.