Lisa Watson

Northwest College received a sterling accreditation report that, unlike in past years, requested no changes needing to be made.

In the mid-cycle assurance review from the Higher Learning Commission, the HLC review team unanimously reaffirmed that NWC has met the criteria for accreditation, with no further interim monitoring required this cycle. NWC’s next accreditation review is scheduled for 2027-28.

“This was great,” trustee John Housel said at a Sept. 12 board of trustee meeting. “I’m not sure we’ve had one of these completely clean slates.”

NWC President Lisa Watson agreed. 

“We’ve come a long way,” she said. 

The HLC review summary included praise for the school staff providing what was needed, which Watson said included more than 100 pieces of evidence. 

“Kudos to the NWC team for writing a thorough Assurance Argument and for their diligence in providing additional evidence when requested,” the report states. “NWC lives its mission and provides robust programming and support for its students and the community.”

No one could say when, or if, the college had ever received essentially a flawless accreditation report before.

“We’re extraordinarily happy about this, this is a wonderful report,” trustee president Mark Wurzel said. “It’s kind of never happened before to us.”

Watson praised her staff for not only helping on the project but for their overall success that made the project easier than it otherwise would have been. 

“Receiving such a positive report from the HLC reflects the strength of this institution,” she said. “We could not have accomplished this without a lot of hard work from our faculty and staff. Their commitment to the accreditation process and best practices is what made this possible, and I’m extremely thankful for the effort of everyone involved in the Year Four report.”

The five-person peer-review team evaluated the college in five major categories:

Mission

Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct

Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources and Support

Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement

Institutional Effectiveness

Among the highlights noted by the review team were a clear mission statement that firmly guides the college’s operations; comprehensive policies and procedures that provide guardrails for students and staff to operate in an ethical manner; and policies that ensure and support the freedom of expression both in and out of the classroom.

The team also cited NWC’s healthy mix of workforce-ready (AAS/BAS) and transfer-intended (AA/AS) credentials, along with transfer and articulation agreements with the University of Wyoming, other Wyoming community colleges, and four-year institutions in neighboring states. Clear credentialing requirements and qualification standards for faculty and student support services were among the other examples mentioned when applauding the college.

NWC’s course delivery method, which includes face-to-face, online, hybrid and concurrent enrollment options was another plus in the eyes of the review team. The 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, variety of student services, and a strong IT and Computing Services department were other factors that contributed to the HLC’s positive review.

The college was also praised for having the highest completion rate among Wyoming Community Colleges in 2020-21 and establishing clear student success goals. Along those lines, NWC expanded its First Year Seminar to all degree programs in 2017, and has been offering the course during the summer at no charge to students; created the HELP early alert notification; originated the HERO Grant to help students needing emergency financial support; invested in Guided Pathways/Student Planner software; and promotes a 15-to-finish initiative that encourages students to take 15-credit hours a term.

Wurzel noted the review did include some suggestions, such as in implementing a master syllabus, but Gerald Giraud, vice president for Academic Affairs, said they were told to take suggestions like that with a grain of salt, as reviewers come from a variety of institutions and bring their own lingo. Giraud said the college has a universal syllabus, which is practically the same thing. 

“Comments made were suggestions that hopefully will guide us in the future,” he said. 

Overall, the review team commended the college for maintaining structures, processes and planning that demonstrates its commitment to its stated mission. 

“Despite financial challenges, the college demonstrates a strong commitment to quality of educational offerings and has implemented an inclusive planning process that engages all stakeholders,” the report noted. “It is evident that NWC has a solid structure in place to account for both future challenges, opportunities and the ever-changing student landscape.”

Watson said the review boards also do not give institutions a break for even something as impactful as a pandemic.

“Regardless of what’s happening in world around us, accrediting bodies don’t really care,” she said. “We had some challenges with Covid, but we have to go on and do what we need to do.”

The HLC is one of seven regional agencies in the United States that provide institutional accreditation. Founded in 1895, it accredits approximately 1,000 institutions of higher education in the north central region and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. More NWC accreditation information can be found at https://nwc.edu/accreditation.