Sept. 12, 2022
Dear Faculty, Staff and Students:
The Fall 2022 semester marks the launching of CSUCI’s pursuit to reaffirm our University’s status of being accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Amidst an abundance of priorities, none requires more dedicated and sustained attention on the part of every member of our campus community.
All Hands on Deck
While each and every member of the campus community must be able to explain what “WASC accreditation” and “TPR” means as well as being able to name the three areas we have selected as topics for self-study, some are called to greater service. I am issuing an urgent call to action for faculty, staff, students, and administrators to serve when invited to the Reaffirmation Steering Committee and to the work of its subcommittees.
Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation
WSCUC determined that CSUCI has established a strong reputation with them in terms of fiscal and operational elements of the University, and therefore, we were selected for this alternative Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation (TPR) process. In Fall 2021, through a Town Hall meeting, a survey of all students, faculty, staff, and administrators (respondent N = 400+), and a follow-up series of focus group interviews, three themes emerged as essential for a meaningful, critical self-study: (1) Academic Quality & Student-Centered Infrastructure; (2) Student Services, Support & Development; (3) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility.
Timeline
To all CSUCI colleagues and students: I thank you in advance for your careful attention to this process and for your responsiveness when called to participate. Our University’s future rides on our effective and engaged collaboration.
Sincerely,
Richard Yao, Ph.D.
President