A team of higher education leaders from around the nation will visit the University of Colorado at Boulder April 17-19, as part of a comprehensive evaluation for the campus聮 continued accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).
The evaluation, which occurs about every 10 years, is conducted under the direction of the NCA Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. CU-Boulder has been accredited by the commission since 1913.
A team of 14 individuals from 10 universities will spend two and a half days visiting with a broad range of campus community members and constituencies. Team members include a chancellor, a vice president for research, a professor of biological sciences, a dean of music, a vice chancellor for student affairs, and a professor of English, among others.
The schedule includes opportunities for open meetings with the team by students, faculty and staff on Tuesday, April 18, in Room 159 in the University Memorial Center. The open meeting for faculty will be from 8:30 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. The staff meeting will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. and the student meeting will be from 10:30 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.
In preparation for the visit, the campus conducted a self-study under the direction of a committee appointed two years ago by Chancellor Richard L. Byyny. Chair of the committee is William Kaempfer, associate vice chancellor of academic affairs for budget and planning. The self-study, which included input by many members of the campus community and others, is available on the web at .
Following the visit, the team is expected to prepare a report for release by mid-summer, Kaempfer said.
The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education is one of six accrediting agencies in the United States that provide institutional accreditation on a regional basis. Institutional accreditation evaluates an entire institution and accredits it as a whole.
The commission is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.