California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is actively engaged in the second year of a four-year accreditation process conducted by the Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC). Throughout this year, representatives from all areas within the university will engage in a comprehensive self-study to assess our capacity to address the three core commitments delineated in our institutional proposal: organizing for effectiveness, staffing for effectiveness, and assessing student success.
From the beginning of this process, our university has structured a variety of inclusive and collaborative activities to solicit ideas from students, faculty, and staff.
Last year, research questions for our self-study were identified through a university-wide consultation process that included an electronic survey distributed to all students, faculty, and staff. Priorities expressed by respondents were incorporated into our research agenda. The resulting institutional proposal, submitted by CSULB’s Steering Committee last year,
was identified by the WASC Proposal Review Committee as one of the strongest submitted. Among other commendations, CSULB’s proposal was lauded for its close alignment of identified core commitments with the campus mission, knowledgeable implementation of the goals of WASC accreditation, and ambitious institutional agenda.
This fall, I presented our university’s revised mission, vision, and value statements. Development of the statements began at last fall’s Academic Senate Retreat where students, faculty, and staff engaged in focused and collaborative dialogue to generate ideas about how to portray CSULB’s rising excellence. The Academic Senate Chair and representatives from all four University divisions drafted statements from the ideas generated, solicited additional ideas and feedback, and completed the statements during the summer.
This comprehensive accreditation process is critical to the advancement of our university. I would like to express my appreciation to our Steering Committee, Implementation Committee, Core Commitment Groups, and WASC Outreach Committee for their commitment to and leadership during this phase of the accreditation process. I would also like to thank our students, faculty, and staff for their ongoing engagement in this collaborative process. The active participation of our campus community will not only ensure the success of this process but also serve to strengthen us as a university.Thank you.
F. King Alexander, Ph.D.
President, California State University, Long Beach
