PSU officials were warned in January by a regional accreditation group that the college needed to clear up issues before it could renew its Northwest accreditation.
PSU officials were warned in January by a regional accreditation group that the college needed to clear up issues before it could renew its Northwest accreditation.
PMG file photo
Portland State University President Rahmat Shoureshi was warned in January about regional accreditation issues.
The PSU Vanguard Thursday, Feb. 21, that the commission's warning was echoed during a Feb. 4 Faculty Senate meeting by Provost Susan Jeffords.
The commission, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, provides regional college accreditation by peer schools. The group reviews standards and policies of more than 150 colleges and universities in eight Northwest states, including dozens of small private colleges in the region, Oregon community colleges, Oregon Health and Science University and the University of Oregon.
Accreditation means the university has met certain standards for its programs and degrees. The commission's work is done every seven years by volunteers who visit campuses to evaluate policies, programs, governance and other items. The PSU accreditation warning came during a mid-cycle review.
Ramaswamy's letter warned that PSU needed to resolve several issues that were brought to light in an Aug. 25, 2015, seven-year peer-evaluation report. According to the , the group recommended that PSU better evaluate student learning outcomes for both undergraduate and graduate programs. The issue, known as Recommendation 2, was included in a March 1, 2017, that outlined improved annual assessment steps taken by the university to meet the commission's standards.
Ramaswamy's January letter included a warning about progress on meeting the Recommendation 2 requirements. "The commission requires that Portland State University take appropriate action to ensure this recommendation is addressed and resolved in the prescribed two-year period," Ramaswamy wrote.
Colleges and universities that lose accreditation could face funding problems, and students might be unable to get federal or state financial aid. In addition, other schools are often reluctant to allow students to transfer from unaccredited institutions.
