Accreditation in crisis
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Chancellor Jim Rogers warns of potential threat to NSHE programs
Illustration by Jason Emord
Rumors spread about what UNLV could face if Gov. Jim Gibbons’ biannual budget suggestions pass the state legislature this session, but few tales match the terror of the possibility of this institution losing accreditation.
Chancellor Jim Rogers’ most recent memorandum to the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents discussed the threats posed to accreditation of Nevada’s schools.
“Nevadans often take for granted that the universities will continue to be here… But each of the system’s seven degree-granting institutions is totally dependent on certification or accreditation… to stay in business.”
The handbook of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the organization that grades most of Nevada’s schools, defines accreditation as “a process of recognizing educational institutions for performance, integrity and quality that entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public.”
In short, it is a way to show that education at a given institution is respectable and its graduates valuable.
According to Cliff Ferry, retired administrator for Great Basic College and member of the Nevada State Board of Education, “One highly likely consequence of the funding crisis for Nevada’s education is that NSHE institutions will have a tough time meeting the standards of the… NWCCU.”
“A lot of those accreditation reviews include financial stability,” explained UNLV President David B. Ashley in an address to the CSUN Senate on Feb. 2. “So for example, if there was a degree program that did not have enough faculty to offer all the required courses, accreditation would be in jeopardy.”
Like most schools, individual degree programs at UNLV carry accreditation in addition to that of the university.
In a letter included in Rogers’ memorandum, Ferry predicted that “continued funding shortfalls will jeopardize both regional [university] and specialized accreditation.”
Ashley said he was not concerned about UNLV losing accreditation as an institution, “but… if we get cut too much and aren’t able to replace [lost faculty] then some of those programs might be at risk.”
Achieving or retaining accreditation is a two-step process. First, an institution must present a comprehensive self-study detailing everything from its mission and goals and student services to its finances and physical resources. Then a delegation of auditors from similar institutions visit the campus to determine the accuracy of the report.
“Under the best of circumstances accreditation is not fun and can be quite stressful for the institution being evaluated,” Ferry said.
“In the worst… it’s pure hell,” he said, adding parenthetically, “NSHE 2009-2010?”
Three Nevada institutions face accreditation visits this year and next: Nevada State College this semester and both Western Nevada College and UNLV in spring 2010.
“Obviously the Commission staff and visiting team will be aware of financial problems in the state,” Ferry said. He is concerned that Nevada’s continuing budget problems will create deficiencies in the higher education system and make existing deficits more obvious.
Ferry explained why maintaining accreditation is important for the future of the higher education system.
“When an institution or system has prolonged accreditation problems, student and faculty recruitment and retention become more difficult with each passing year.”
In a statement to the chancellor, Ashley explicated that programs must be accredited to offer meaningful benefits to students as they enter jobs as well as employers looking to hire qualified workers. “Our students benefit from [UNLV's 50 accredited programs] by gaining access to professional opportunities they would not otherwise have access to in this region were it not for our accreditation success,” he said.
According to Ashley, the health of Nevada’s economy depends on the continuation of accreditation of NSHE institutions.
“The impact of accreditation loss would be a severe blow to this region’s workforce, particularly at the highly-skilled professional level,” he said. “Imagine what the losses of nurses, lab clinicians, lawyers, dentists, accountants, civil engineers, social workers, dieticians, physical therapists and architects… would mean to our region, where there are already critical workforce shortages in these high-demand disciplines.”
UNLV alumna Lisa Story has held technical jobs in the public and private sector in Nevada, and claimed in her letter to Ashley that “the main roadblock to bringing more high-tech, well-paid jobs to Nevada [is] the state’s lack of commitment to adequately fund the university system.”
Ashley expressed the belief that accreditation for NSHE institutions is crucial to the educational progress of the state.
“We cannot afford to take a giant step backwards by losing accredited programs and that is just what the proposed budget cuts would do.”
I felt an odd sense of joy mingled with sadness as I read this. UNLV is ineffective; it’s administration hostile to students, and quite frankly, many lack integrity. I will be adding my two cents to the accreditation board. (Full disclosure: I was kicked out of UNLV’s Social Work program and UNLV, in my opinion, because I requested harder work and was systematically threatened that if I pursued this path I would be suspended. Phillip Burns even lied on recording. I hope he tries to sue me for this, because I can prove it. They even contacted my boss at the time, who happened to be a social worker.
I graduated Magna cum Laude from Western Washington University, and the school was using texts I used the first year of my bachelor’s program.
Moreover, the administration uses a hostile method. I attempted to obtain my FERPA records of my student conduct hearing. I am not allowed on campus; when I mentioned litigation, I got two letters from the student conduct office on the same day. One letter gave me permission to go to campus; the second stated I might be guilty of “stalking” and “assault” (UNLV called me. Naturally, I felt intimidated to come to campus since the word “assault” is so vaguely and unconstitutionally defined that it could mean anything and everything. They didn’t seem to get I was no longer a student of the school and acted as if I were compelled as a student to address the charges at the school.
Thankfully, I found a new program and recently received a very large tuition waiver to attend a special instructional session that will lay the groundwork for my doctoral study. In that sense, I am very grateful to have been kicked out, as crazy as it sounds, because it opened some amazing doors.
So, I hope UNLV can adapt to serving students–the school has everything it needs. If it cannot, I will be glad to see it close. If they are going act like a community college, they shouldn’t give out advanced degrees.
Anyone who wishes to contact me to find out more may at questions.abound@gmail.com
I agree that there needs to be more oversight. In my opinion, this cry about accreditation is silly. If accreditation is lost, it won’t be due to the budget, it will be due to know about the budget problems for several months, denying the issue, and not planning well enough.
I’m tired of Rogers mouth. His rude, arrogant and handicapped by his invalid ego. Now his handicaps will hurt our school. His son is the same way. I wish someone would investigate his business and political practices.