Northwest Commission on College and University (NWCCU)
Annual Update for WSQA
Academic Year 2014, 2015
Due Nov 6, 2015
College Name: Highline College
Contact Person: Jeff Wagnitz
Contact Phone: 206-878-3711
Contact email: jwagnitz@highline.edu
Accreditation recommendations to the
College and year of recommendation
Actions taken by the college to address
recommendations
Improvement results
Highline College submitted a Year 7
comprehensive report to the NWCCU in
2013 and hosted a team of peer
evaluators for a full scale evaluation in
October, 2013. The college received two
recommendations:
In the spirit of continuous
improvement as contemplated by
the standards, the Evaluation
Committee recommends that the
college gather and maintain
evidence that the depth, breadth,
In response to the first recommendation, the
college has taken a two-pronged approach.
One prong is to capitalize on our ongoing work
in assessment of student learning and
pedagogical improvements by taking steps to
ensure that course level student learning
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The college began using the online assessment
tool in 2014-15 and it will be widely adopted by
faculty over the following year.
coherence, content and sequence
of programs are appropriate.
(Standards 2.C.4 and 2.C.5)
outcomes are clearly linked with degree level
learning outcomes (as they already are linked
with the College Wide Outcomes). To support
this undertaking, the college has developed an
online assessment ‘tool’ (a repository of
assessment projects and data). The tool allows
faculty to assess student learning outcomes in
their courses and plan for improvement; then,
this tool summarizes all of the department
assessment data, as reported by each
department coordinator, to the Standards,
Outcomes and Competencies Committee
where it can be used to measure and discuss,
and align outcomes with planning and
budgeting.
Our second prong is to strengthen the early
experience of students, ensuring that they
identify an educational goal early and follow a
structured path to that goal. The college has
six identified pathways (fields of study). These
include multiple degrees and certificates for
which the college is designing clear, wellstructured sequences of courses. Also, we
created a new advising model, eliminating the
distinction between faculty and Student
Services advisors, where students will receive
pathway-specific support early in their
academic career.
The evaluation committee recommends
that for each year of operation, the
College undergo an external financial
audit and that the results from such
audits, including findings and
In response to the second recommendation,
and in accordance with the new NWCCU
standards for financial statement audits,
Highline college successfully prepared its fiscal2
We will implement a pilot ‘pathway’ program
with a structured course sequence for the first
pathway in academic year 2015-16. The new
advising model will pilot in 2016.
The SAO auditors performed the required field
work between February and April. In an exit
interview on May 5, 2015, audit results were
presented to the college president and members
management letter recommendations,
be considered in a timely, appropriate
and comprehensive manner by the Board
of Trustees (Eligibility Requirement 19
and Standard 2.F.7).
year 2014-15 financial statement according to
the Governmental Accounting Standards in
preparation for hosting a team from the State
Auditor’s Office.
Highline College submitted a Year 1
report to the NWCCU in 2014 and it was
received with no recommendations.
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of the Board of Trustees. The management
letter identified no audit findings.
.