There is a mid-cycle review which includes our self-study and a peer visit. During year six, policies, regulations, and finances are the focus. During the 7 th year the self-study is reviewed, there is an evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness, and a visit by the accreditation team. CWU is getting ready for our next visit, which will happen in the Fall of 2026. We began preparing for this visit two years ago. Standards have been reviewed to determine strengths and gaps have been identified. Eight weeks prior to the accreditation visit, our self-evaluation will be reviewed by the members of the visiting team. The ALO will coordinate the visit with the chair of the visiting team. The team comes to campus for three days and participates in many meetings with teams from the university. At the end of the visit, the team delivers a preliminary report of commendations and recommendations. The NWCCU team members will want to meet with members of the Board of Trustees and are likely to ask questions about their:
• Understanding of CWU’s mission • Role in strategic decision making
• Oversight of institutional effectiveness • Oversight of financial responsibility • Support for student success goals • Awareness of accreditation responsibilities The key milestones of this process are: • December 2025: Initial drafts are completed
• April 1, 2026: Final drafts are due • Spring 2026: Editing and review • August 1, 2026: Submission • October/November 2026: NWCCU Team visit • January 2027: Commission decision. • Then the cycle starts over As part of governance and the board’s role in accreditation, we need to establish a process for the Board of Trustees to evaluate itself. Dr. Cochran will work with Dr. Kirstein to get this set up. In the student support area, we need to establish and adopt a Distance Education policy that defines regular and substantive interaction (RSI) between faculty and students in online classes.
Dr. Kirstein reported that he feels like we are in a great position with our accreditation report.
Budget & Enrollment Updates AVP Hung summarized the Fall 2025 Admissions Cycle for first time in college and transfer students. New student enrollment numbers for Fall 2025: Readmits (127), Graduate Students (269), Transfer Students (795), and First Time in College Students (1593). Continued student enrollment for Fall 2025: Graduate Students (248), Post Baccalaureate Students (133), and Undergraduate Students (5001). Fall 2025 total enrollment is 8309, which is down slightly from Fall 2024.
7 Board of Trustees Minutes October 16, 2025
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator