Western Association of Schools and Colleges

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Over 350 individuals from institutions in the WASC region participated in the inaugural WASC Resource Fairs to explore some of the resources and approaches that can be used to assess graduation proficiency in five core competencies: written and oral communication, quantitative skills, critical thinking, and information literacy. The one-day event was a great opportunity to network with peers in the region, gather information, learn more about key elements of the WASC redesign, and provide feedback to WASC on appropriate parameters for documenting graduation proficiencies.

Click here to access the Resource Guide and presentations from the Resource Fairs.

When and Where:

Northern California Resource Fair
January 19, 2012 from 10 am – 4 pm
CSU East Bay, Hayward, CA

Southern California Resource Fair
January 20, 2012 from 10 am – 4 pm
Woodbury University, Burbank, CA

What:

The WASC Commission has approved the first stage of the accreditation redesign process. A major component of the redesign is that institutions will be expected to demonstrate that their graduates have achieved the institution's stated level of proficiency at least in the following five areas stated in CFR 2.2a: written and oral communication, quantitative skills, critical thinking and information literacy. The Commission views this new element of the institutional review process as an essential step forward but also recognizes that it poses a challenge. Thus, WASC seeks to work with our member institutions, learn from them, and become a resource to support the region’s higher education community as we all respond to rising public and federal expectations for accountability and student achievement.

Overview of the Resource Fair:

Over the past 30 years, assessment approaches have evolved, tools have been developed, and a degree of consensus regarding good assessment practice has emerged. We understand that member institutions, their departments and programs may be at varying stages of implementation. We believe, however, that no institution is starting from zero, that all institutions can benefit from a wide-ranging conversation about how to approach graduation proficiencies, and that we can do so most productively in an atmosphere of collegiality and mutual support.

At the Resource Fairs on January 19th and 20th, WASC brought together institutional representatives, experts in the field, test publishers, and producers of software to: 1) discuss promising practices and challenges in documenting graduation proficiencies; 2) identify tools for assessing and reporting graduation proficiencies at undergraduate and graduate levels; 3) share ideas with one another; and 4) provide feedback to WASC on appropriate frameworks for documenting and improving graduation proficiencies.