Visiting NWCCU members include, back row, left to right: Dr. Laird Hartman, dean of Continuing

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Education and Community Services, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah; Dr. Betty Elliott,
professor of Biological Sciences, Great Basin College, Elko, Nevada; Becky Smith, department
chair, Computer Info Services, Dixie State College of Utah, St. George, Utah; Dr. Jay Kenton,
vice chancellor for Finance and Administration, Oregon University System, Corvallis, Oregon;
Karen Johnson, dean for Developmental Education, Edmonds Community College, Lynnwood,
Washington; Richard Cummins, executive vice president, Columbia Basin College, Pasco,
Washington; Linda Maier, dean for Workforce Education, Whatcom Community College,
Bellingham, Washington; Dr. Max Checketts (evaluation team chair), Academic vice president,
Brigham Young University—-Idaho, Rexburg, Idaho. Front row, left to right: Dr. Laura Potcyn,
assistant to the president, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington; Robert Carr, special
assistant to the chancellor, Montana State University — Billings; Patricia Kelley, dean of Libraries,
Eastern Washington University, Cheney, Washington; Dr. Sandra Elman, president, NWCCU;

Dr. Susan Murray, executive director, Institutional Effectiveness, Wenatchee Valley College,

Wenatchee, Washington.

A ste

While Capilano looks at the term
“accreditation” as a means of quality
assurance, particularly for international
students, Sandra Elman sees it as an
alternate path to global accord.

“Tm a great proponent on issues of
international peace,” said the president
of the Northwest Commission on
Colleges and Universities. “I really see
this accreditation process as one means
for two neighbouring countries to
promote connectivity, global aware-
ness and expectations for global justice
in ways we've never done before.”

This out of the box perspective is a
personal passion for Sandra, who
spends a great deal of her time
either visiting the 160 NWCCU
accredited institutions in the
Northwest region of the United
States, or discussing policy and
educational issues in Washington,
D.C.

“Tm very excited that we’re working
with Capilano to make seamless
borders and are doing what we do
best — offering the highest quality

in the right direction

of programming to our students,”
she said.

As is often the case in interviews,
first impressions make the most
powerful impact. It was raining on
October 24, the day the 12-member
NWCCU evaluation team arrived for
its three-day visit. But for Sandra, a
Seattle resident, that only created a
feeling of home.

“You have the best of what the Pacific
Northwest has to offer,” she said,
segueing into her initial opinion of
Capilano’s application. “You provided
a very thoughtful approach to the
self-study. I especially liked the fact
that you began by answering the
question, ‘Why accreditation?”

Why accreditation, indeed. Currently,
Canada is a country without a national
accrediting body. Universities with a
research focus are using membership
in the Association of Universities and
Colleges of Canada to recognize their
role. However, no such organization
exists to recognize the role of
teaching focused institutions, such

as Capilano. The accreditation
process will help this institution
understand its goals and roles, while
inviting a regulatory body to offer
judgment.

Sandra, who js not an official
member of the evaluation team, sees
her role as that of ambassador and
offers a more pragmatic approach to
the accreditation process.

“We're here to validate the self-study
and affirm that you meet eligibility
requirements for accreditation,” she
explained. “If you are accepted as a
candidate, you will get the benefits
that come from a quality assurance
perspective, but you shall also
remain who you are.”

The next step for the evaluation
team is to prepare a report that will
be presented to the NWCCU
commissioners. In January 2008,
Capilano president, Dr. Greg Lee,
along with the chair of the NWCCU
evaluation team, Dr. Max Checketts,
will meet with 23 commissioners for
an hour-long discussion based upon
the evaluators’ report. They will also
be asked questions about standards
and issues found in the self-study.
From that meeting, one of three
actions will take place: candidacy for
accreditation with the NWCCU will
be granted, deferred or denied. If
Capilano is granted candidacy, it will
have five years to be granted initial
accreditation. In the meantime, it
will be considered a candidate for
accreditation, which means that it
will be a member of the NWCCU.

“Membership facilitates the
movement of faculty and students
between member institutions,”
Sandra said, adding, “Capilano is the
first Canadian institution to become
an applicant and you would join a
community of higher educational
institutions that share similar
academic qualifications and quality
in a very competitive arena.

“It’s exciting, important and
progressive — both on the part of
Capilano and NWCCU —and I Look
forward to us working together over
the coming years.”

New Onentation photo
by Ken Barbour

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