¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV has been granted formal accreditation, effective September 1, 2015, by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), an independent, non-profit agency.

The  is one of six independent regional agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate the quality and institutional effectiveness of post-secondary institutions. Simon Fraser is accredited by a U.S. agency because Canada doesn’t have a comparable institutional accreditation body.  

About Accreditation

Accreditation allows an assessment by our peers (educators and researchers) who have the same aspirations to high standards as we have at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. Currently, ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV has certain programs or faculties that have attained specific academic accreditation relating to their field. 

The NWCCU

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is a non-governmental, non-profit, membership organization, overseeing regional accreditation for over 160 institutions in the seven-state Northwest region – Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington – and for a limited number of institutions outside the U.S. Its decision-making body consists of up to 24 Commissioners – institutional representatives and public members – a chair, and the President, who is ex-officio. Click  for its accrediation standards.

The Benefits of Accreditation

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV is the first Canadian post-secondary research intensive university to be accredited.

Benefits of accreditation include:

• Increase accountability - through regular external assessments of our adherence to best-practice standards.
• Set clear benchmarks - Establish clearer benchmarks/standards for assessing educational goals and students’ learning experiences.
• Enhance the value of an ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV degree, locally and internationally.
  
• Build relationships - Strategically build our relationships with U.S. institutions, including government, foundations, and collegiate sports associations. 
• Foster public confidence - in our ability to adhere to our stated vision and goals.

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV's Accreditation Term

Accreditation is an ongoing status that must be reaffirmed periodically. Now that ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV has achieved initial accreditation with the NWCCU, it enters into a seven-year cycle that consists of regular reporting and peer reviews. A decision regarding reaffirmation of accreditation takes place at the conclusion of the seven-year cycle.

Educational Goals

Educational goals are a set of attributes that every ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV graduate should possess and represent the university’s ongoing commitment to the improvement of programs and courses.

In 2022, ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV adopted Educational Goals for all undergraduate students as part of our accreditation with the NWCCU.  ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV’s Educational Goals for undergraduates are based on the recommendations of a 2018 working group and revisions made by the Senate Committee for University Teaching and Learning:

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Students Are:

Strong, purposeful and inclusive communicators. They can:

• Analyze and interpret ideas through various media, including but not limited to effective written, verbal, quantitative, and visual arguments.
• Evaluate and use source materials effectively and ethically to support and advance ongoing and new knowledge.   
• Promote inclusive, collaborative problem-solving through respectful interpersonal communication.

Practical, creative and critical thinkers. They have the capacity to:

• Articulate broad and deep knowledge of a field of study, including core assumptions, key concepts, standard methodologies, and common approaches, both theoretical and applied. 
• Pose thoughtful questions, analyze and interpret information and arguments, and apply information from multiple disciplines to solve problems.
• Engage critically in experiential activities to demonstrate a reflective and integrated understanding and develop practical, creative, and scholarly solutions

Our students are community-engaged individuals. They have learned to:

• Respect Indigenous communities’ goals of self-determination and well-being, and actively engage in ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV’s collective responsibility of working towards Reconciliation. 
• Understand and respect diversity, practice inclusion, work towards equity, and gain and promote understanding of local, regional, and global communities. 
• Evaluate ethical values and the social context of problems; apply diverse perspectives in scholarship. 
• Contribute to the communities in which they work and live through reciprocal and relationship building, and participate in community-embedded challenges or opportunities.