Thompson Rivers University has been approved for continued status as a Candidate for Accreditation at the associate, baccalaureate and master’s degree levels by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) following TRU’s self-study report and evaluation team site visit in October, 2017.
In NWCCU’s Jan. 31, 2018 letter confirming TRU’s continued candidacy, the evaluation team commended the university for its support for undergraduate students to engage in research, its commitment to serving its local communities, and the agility and intentionality with which TRU enacted service, policy and process improvements in response to student frustrations concerning registration and course access.
On the topic of research, the letter added, “Institutional commitment to research is also evidenced by recent growth in external funding … and multiple indicators of local, provincial and national support for the institution’s growing research agenda.”
The commission also made recommendations regarding general education, learning outcomes and assessment, areas requiring further work in order for TRU to meet NWCCU accreditation standards. To date, 80% of TRU programs have clearly-articulated program learning outcomes, and a faculty-led approach to defining general education at TRU is in progress through the General Education Taskforce, which will continue to seek input from faculty, staff and students.
“The collaboration of faculties, schools, departments and divisions on the path to institutional accreditation has been very successful to date, as evidenced by the latest commendations from the commission’s evaluators,” said TRU Provost and Vice-President Academic Christine Bovis-Cnossen.
“Achieving our goals and meeting NWCCU’s standards over the next three years will mean we are ensuring TRU students receive the highest quality education.”
As a candidate, the university is required to submit its next Interim Candidacy Report and host a site visit in the spring of 2019. TRU will be eligible to apply for full accreditation status within three years.
TRU’s recognition as a candidate is listed on the NWCCU’s website under British Columbia institutions. We are the third BC institution to achieve candidacy status. For more information about the NWCCU accreditation process and benefits, please visit our Accreditation FAQs.
