University of Hawaii-West Oahu accreditation reaffirmed by WASC commission

University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu
Contact:
Mia Noguchi, (808) 956-9095
Kristen Bonilla, (808) 956-5039
External Affairs & University Relations
Posted: Mar 21, 2005

ALAMEDA, Calif. — At its meeting on February 17-18, 2005, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges‘ Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASC Senior) reaffirmed the accreditation for the University of Hawaiʻi—West Oʻahu (UHWO) campus.

In a letter to UHWO Chancellor Gene Awakuni from Ralph A. Wolff, WASC Senior executive director, the Commission confirmed that UHWO has successfully completed the multistage review conducted under the Standards of Accreditation and has been given a full seven-year accreditation.

"I‘m delighted the WASC Senior Commission has recognized the efforts of the faculty, staff and students in the UH West Oʻahu community to insure that the quality of their programs meet Commission standards. I‘m particularly grateful to Dr. Linda Johnsrud, acting chancellor at the campus for the past year, for her leadership in addressing WASC‘s prior concerns," said University of Hawaiʻi Interim President David McClain.

Newly appointed Chancellor Gene Awakuni said, "The action letter from WASC allows us to move ahead in aggressively broadening our curriculum and programs. We can now commit our resources and energy to build upon the gains we have made."

WASC commended UHWO for engaging its faculty in measuring student learning across all programs and noted that UHWO had set realistic timelines in its program review process and commended the campus on its progress.

The action letter stated, "The team observed, ʻan understanding and an embracing of the new standards that has strengthened institutional resolve.‘" It also noted that, "UHWO has also moved toward developing partnerships within the community colleges in response to the workforce needs of the State, and this may serve as an important role for the campus."

For a complete copy of the WASC Senior Commission‘s letter regarding UHWO‘s educational effectiveness review, visit www.hawaii.edu/vpaa.

For more information, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/vpaa