About Accreditation

What is Accreditation? 
In the United States, schools and colleges voluntarily seek accreditation from non-governmental bodies. There are two types of educational accreditation: institutional and specialized.

Why is Accreditation Important?
Accreditation by a regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education serves several purposes. Accreditation provides assurance to stakeholders (e.g. citizens, students, parents, legislators) that the institution meets clear quality standards for educational and financial performance, and that it is reasonable to assume the institution will continue to do so. This quality assurance by a federally-recognized body also meets requirements necessary for the institution to receive and manage federal financial aid funds. The accreditation process also provides a periodic opportunity and incentive for the institution to review, assess, and advance the quality of its educational and financial operations.

Criteria for Accreditation
The Higher Learning Commission will evaluate WVSU according to five criteria for accreditation:

  1. Mission: The institution’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations.
  2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct: The institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.
  3. Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support: The institution provides high quality education, wherever and however its offerings are delivered.
  4. Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement: The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments, and support services, and it evaluates their effectiveness for student learning through processes designed to promote continuous improvement.
  5. Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness: The institution’s resources, structures, and processes are sufficient to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its educational offerings, and respond to future challenges and opportunities. The institution plans for the future.

 Each criterion includes core components, which identify areas of focus within the criterion. Sub-components further elaborate some core components. You can see each criterion’s components by visiting the HLC’s website.

Federal Compliance
As a federally recognized accreditor, the HLC is required to assure the federal government that WVSU meets its Title IV program responsibilities. HLC’s Federal Compliance Program

WVSU must provide evidence for its compliance with regulations:

  • Credits, program length, and tuition
  • Student complaints
  • Transfer policies
  • Verification of student identity
  • Title IV program and related responsibilities
  • Institutional disclosures and advertising recruitment materials
  • Relationships with other accrediting agencies and with state regulatory bodies
  • Public notification of the comprehensive evaluation visit and third party comment

What is the Current Status of WVSU’s Accreditation?

West Virginia State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (http://www.ncahlc.org/). West Virginia State University has maintained continuous accreditation by the Higher Learning Committee (HLC) of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges since 1927. Of all West Virginia’s higher education institutions, West Virginia State University has the longest record of continuous accreditation.

HLC conducts comprehensive evaluations of member institutions to confirm that the institution continues to meet the Criteria for Accreditation, is pursuing institutional improvement and complies with requirements sets by the U.S. Department of Education. Evaluations are conducted by teams of peer reviewers.

For accredited institutions, comprehensive evaluations occur at different points along each pathway for reaffirmation of accreditation. The Standard Pathway: Year 4 and Year 10

The HLC conducted an in-depth review of WVSU’s academic programs in 2015 and reaffirmed the University’s accreditation for another 10 years. The Standard Pathway Comprehensive Review Year 4 is scheduled for April 2020. Great resources for understanding accreditation in the United States are:
The Fundamentals of Accreditation: What Do You Need to Know? (PDF) by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
Institutional Accreditation: An Overview (PDF) by the Higher Learning Commission.

For questions or comments regarding the University’s reaffirmation of accreditation process or the self-study report, please send all inquiries and information to reaffirmation@wvstateu.edu or call (304) 204-4300.

 Institutional Accreditation

There are six regional associations, each named after the region in which it operates. The United States is divided into six accreditation regions: New England, Middle States, North Central, Southern, Western and Northwest. Seven accrediting commissions operate in these regions.The accrediting organizations identified in this directory are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Recognition by CHEA affirms that the standards and processes of the accrediting organization are consistent with the academic quality, improvement and accountability expectations that CHEA has established, including the eligibility standard that the majority of institutions or programs each accredits are degree-granting.

Click here to download the complete  2018-2019 Directory of CHEA Recognized Organizations as a pdf file.

The regional associations are independent of one another, but they cooperate extensively and acknowledge one another’s accreditation. Several national associations focus on particular kinds of institutions, for example, trade and technical colleges, and religious colleges and universities. 

An institutional accrediting agency evaluates an entire educational institution in terms of its mission and the agency’s standards or criteria. It accredits the institution as a whole. Besides assessing formal educational activities, it evaluates such things as governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness, and relationships with internal and external constituencies.

 Program/Specialized Accreditation

A specialized accrediting body evaluates particular units, schools, or programs within an institution. Specialized accreditation, also called program accreditation, is often associated with national professional associations, such as those for engineering, medicine, and law, or with specific disciplines, such as business, teacher education, psychology, or social work.

Program Accreditation at WVSU

  • The Teacher Education program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP); 
  • The Bachelor of Arts degree program in Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
  • The Bachelor of Science degree program in the Department of Business Administration is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
  • The Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
  • The YellowJacket Early Enrollment/Dual Credit Program is accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP)
  • Option A of the bachelor’s degree in Chemistry is certified by the American Chemical Society.
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