By holding up a mirror, accreditation serves the purpose of assuring quality that, when viewed as a catalyst, drives evidence-based innovation and reform (Kumar, Shukla, and Passey, 2020). Accreditation also goes a step further, calling cross-campus collaborators to improve the institution through data-driven decision making (Langrafe et. al, 2020). A small, private, non-profit university demonstrates the benefits gained by grounding themselves in longitudinal student satisfaction data and utilizing accreditation as a continuous improvement catalyst. Centering students and their satisfaction requires intentionally capturing and consistently responding to student feedback leading to positive campus experiences.

Amanda Lebrecht, Vice President of Student Affairs, Vanguard University of Southern California
Priscilla Ziegler, Educational Effectiveness Specialist, Vanguard University of Southern California

The new WSCUC Reaffirmation of Accreditation Process in addition to addressing the for Standards requires institutions to reflect on the insights gained during the self-study, offering the institution the opportunity to “tell our story” of both the challenges and opportunities encountered since the last review. Crafting an objective and balanced story can be challenging, especially with multiple stakeholders involved, each with their own perspective and priorities. The session will explore how California Lutheran navigated competing interests and diverse viewpoints to produce a transparent and reflective account of institutional progress. This presentation aims to provide a roadmap for institutions undergoing the new WSCUC reaffirmation process, providing strategies to leverage the accreditation process for deeper institutional reflection, and offers suggestions on crafting a balanced narrative that accurately reflects all perspectives of institutional experience since the last reaffirmation visit.

Melinda Medlen, Senior Institutional Research Analyst, California Lutheran University
Michael Hart, Associate Dean, Creative and Performing Arts; Associate Professor of Music, California Lutheran University
Taiwo Ande, Senior Associate Provost, California Lutheran University