Accreditation
Welcome! This page includes a description of accreditation, our outcomes, where we are in the process, ways to get involved, why it's important and Lane's accredited status.
What is Accreditation?
As defined by the Department of Education, the purpose of accreditation is to ensure that higher education institutions meet acceptable levels of quality. Lane is regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental, self-regulatory process of quality assurance and institutional improvement. It is a continuous improvement cycle that begins anew each 7 years.
Here's a visual of the 7-year cycle and an illustration of our purpose, outcomes and teams.
Our outcomes are to: align effort with Planning & Institutional Effectiveness, complete and submit year 7 report (by ~June 2021), prepare for and host NWCCU members (in ~Oct 2021) and raise awareness of accreditation and continuous improvement.
What is the focus of accreditation?
Student success. Sonny Ramaswamy, NWCCU President, lauds the efforts of innovative thinkers, shares a definition of student success and some ideas to promote it in his most recent communique, in The Beacon. Here's a link to sign up for The Beacon (click on an issue then on the green "join email list" button at the top).
Fall 2019 In-Service at Lane focused on student success. Here's a compilation of the NWCCU Standards and Eligibility Requirements that focus directly on student success and the associated presentation.
Why are continuous improvement and accreditation important?
The process provides a valuable opportunity to:
- Revisit what we do well and what needs attention, which is central to teaching and learning and institutional effectiveness
- Build shared vision and clear direction
- Highlight the excellent work done at Lane
- Remain eligible to receive federal and other funding
- Fine tune our focus on meeting the College mission
- Ensure the process remains self-governing
About Lane's Accredited Status
Lane Community College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation. Accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution. For more information about Lane’s accredited status by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities please contact the Accreditation Liaison Officer or the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, 8060 165th Avenue N.E., Suite 100, Redmond, WA 98052, (425) 558‐4224, www.nwccu.org.