WGU and Regional Accreditor to Train on Transition to Virtual Site Visits

SALT LAKE CITY, March 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting this week, nonprofit, online Western Governors University (WGU) will provide training webinars on how to host and manage virtual accreditation evaluation site visits.

The training webinars will be hosted in partnership with regional accrediting organization Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). NWCCU-accredited institutions and evaluation teams who were slated for accreditation visits in spring of 2020 will be invited to attend one of the four training webinars from March 18 through March 20.

Based on the recommendations from government, state, and health officials regarding COVID-19, NWCCU announced the transition from in-person evaluation site visits to virtual evaluation site visits for spring 2020.

Evaluation site visits are scheduled by an accrediting organization to assess whether each accredited institution has continued to meet the required standards for accreditation.

While on-site evaluation sites visits are not new, virtual evaluation site visits are uncommon in the industry. Trainings are needed to ensure the quality of site visits is maintained and expectations are met to ensure continued alignment with NWCCU accreditation policies and processes.

WGU has more than 20 years' experience in online learning and understands the challenges associated with virtual learning. To assist NWCCU and its accredited institutions with the transition, WGU is offering its support by providing several training webinars to prepare evaluation teams and institutional representatives with the essential knowledge on how to conduct structured and effective evaluation site visits in a remote environment.

Training webinars will include four focus areas: Basics of Internet Meetings, Considerations of Internet Meetings, Considerations for Site Visits, and Troubleshooting Internet Meetings. Training webinars will be accessible via Zoom Meetings and recorded for the attendees' future reference. To learn more about the training webinars and attending one of the sessions, contact NWCCU at [email protected]  or visit https://www.nwccu.org/home/covid-19/. 

About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 121,000 students nationwide and has more than 175,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation's leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 22 years, the university has become a leading influence in the development of innovative workforce-focused approaches to education. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.

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