MEDIA ADVISORY – February 10, 2012 - Nampa, ID – Today, College of Western Idaho (CWI) received notice from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) granting the College candidacy status toward accreditation. This is a significant accomplishment in the growth and development of College of Western Idaho and validates its status as a postsecondary school.
In October 2011 CWI hosted a team of evaluators from NWCCU that conducted a review of the school’s self-study report and an assessment of the college’s ability to meet several Northwest accreditation standards. For a college only three years in operation, College of Western Idaho scored very well with the report citing “CWI has assembled an impressive faculty and staff, a functional infrastructure, and a relevant, high-quality set of educational programs.” The official candidacy report (available on the CWI website) highlights areas of commendation for College of Western Idaho and identifies areas in which the school needs to improve.
“This affirmation is a tribute to our commitment to providing western Idaho learning resources that fully prepares our students to advance their educational and career opportunities,” said Dr. Bert Glandon, CWI President. “We want to thank our accreditation partners at the College of Southern Idaho for their guidance and support in obtaining candidacy status. College of Western Idaho is committed to student achievement and institutional effectiveness.”
According to the NWCCU, College of Western Idaho’s candidacy status became effective January 11, 2012, and is valid until January 2017. Once an institution earns candidacy status, the school enters a progression period involving a thorough review of all relevant requirements and hosting NWCCU for visits in Fall 2014 and again in Fall 2016. Once completed and submitted for review, CWI will continue to demonstrate its potential for attaining accreditation within five years.
Prior to candidacy status, the College of Western Idaho has delivered college credit instruction, certificates and degrees through its memorandum of understanding with the College of Southern Idaho. Candidacy status will allow the College of Western Idaho to implement systems to support students and meet the critical needs of the College such as federal grants, financial aid, and independent enrollment and student data systems. Starting with Summer and Fall 2012 registration, students will register through CWI. CSI will continue to provide accreditation of CWI students until CWI is fully accredited.
For more information on CWI’s programs and accreditation status please visit cwi.edu.
Contact:
Jennifer Couch
(208) 562-3508
jennifercouch@cwi.edu
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The College of Western Idaho is a public, open-access, and comprehensive community college committed to providing affordable access to quality teaching and learning opportunities to the residents of its service area in western Idaho. CWI
has seven campus locations throughout Southwest Idaho providing higher education and 21st Century technical skills acquisition. The college is dedicated to improving the community’s economic well-being by responding with highly-educated and productive graduates. The foundation for the area’s only community college was created by a supermajority of voters in Ada and Canyon counties on May 22, 2007. For more information about the college, visit cwi.edu or call (208) 562-3000.
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