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 Accreditation StatusWestern University of Health Sciences is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)), a regional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Post-Secondary Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE) voted to grant the College Limited Accreditation for a period not to exceed two years. In the Accreditation Policies and Procedures of the AVMA COE (Section 33) the last paragraph in the "Classification" section states the following: "Each of the classifications defined above in numbers 2-5 (Provisional Accreditation, Full Accreditation, Limited Accreditation, and Terminal Accreditation) provides an accredited status to the college." Accordingly, the Council has determined that our College does, in fact, conform to the standards required for accreditation by the AVMA.
The definition of Limited Accreditation as stated in the COE Policy and Procedures Manual is as follows:
An accreditation status granted to a college that has specific deficiencies in one or more Standards that affect student outcomes or safety. The deficiencies are considered of a nature that they can be corrected in a reasonable length of time that must not exceed two years. Prior to expiration of this prescribed period, the Council may either review the annual report(s), request that an institutional representative appear before the Council, or conduct a comprehensive or focused site visit to determine if the deficiencies have been corrected.The Council found the College in full compliance with 8 of 11 Standards and in substantial compliance with Standards 3 (Physical Facilities), 8 (Faculty), and 10 (Research). We have begun to address the deficiencies noted in the report and plan to have addressed most if not all of them in time to report the corrections in our annual report due in January, 2009. The next site visit by the Council is scheduled to occur in 2010. Limited Accreditation did not and will not compromise the professional qualifications of students who graduate during the time of Limited Accreditation. The two classes that have graduated exceeded the required COE pass rate of 80% on the North American Veterinary Licensure (NAVLE) examination. The COE found faculty numbers to be sufficient to deliver the educational program. However, the COE recommended the College moderately increase faculty numbers to facilitate the expansion and delivery of the research program. The facility deficiencies involved isolation facilities, minor safety issues, and isolated pharmacy issues in some of our distributive sites. We are responding to the recommendations of the COE. As the newest College of Veterinary Medicine within the United States, we view the progression from Provisional Accreditation (awarded in 2003) to Limited Accreditation as a positive development. We are dedicated to provide an environment of learning that meets our founding principles and the standards of accreditation. Our designation as an accredited institution remains intact. The College will seek re-evaluation in March, 2009. Assuming the Council finds our progress adequate after review of our report, it is likely we will achieve Full Accreditation status within one year. Phillip D. Nelson, DVM, PhD Dean |
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