WASC

What does WASC mean to you? (Students. Faculty. Staff.)

If you're a student:

Some of the primary focuses of WASC are educational efficiency and effectiveness and the improvement of student learning. Recently, the WASC Steering Committee has been working with the faculty within each department of the school to refine the learning goals of each of the programs offered at CalArts. To aid in the structuring of each program, rubrics have been in the process of being created and executed, by the faculty, to better provide evidence and a framework of the educational goals the school has for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels in accordance with the WASC accreditation standards. These rubrics, as of the Fall 2008 semester, have become an integral part of the student mid-residence and graduation reviews and will continue to be so in order to ensure that educational standards are being met for the students. The rubrics will also aid in setting the syllabi for each of the classes to guarantee that the learning goals for the classes are concurrent with the programs.

CalArts and WASC will continually be reviewing the program designs and classes to maintain and improve educational standards. In these reviews, they will be using the rubrics as well as student responses that received from surveys of alumni and graduating students. They will also be using statistics of student learning with in the school, assessed using data tracking achievement, satisfaction, and campus climate, along with the course evaluations offered at the conclusion of each semester. This will also mean looking at the relationship between teaching student learning and scholarship. Both WASC and CalArts are concerned with trying to keep student support services, such as financial aid, computer lab accessibility, academic advisement, and career counseling, designed to meet the needs of students applying and currently attending CalArts.

One area that WASC and CalArts are constantly trying to improve is the communication between students and faculty of the expectations that are required of the school and its students. This goes especially for students that are transferring into CalArts, so as to ensure that they are not at a
disadvantage.

If you're faculty:

CalArts faculty will be asked to participate in a number of ways during the WASC accreditation process. Each school has one or two representatives on the WASC Steering Committee and will keep their faculty updated on their progress. Faculty will be asked for input in the development/refinment of goals for their programs. Program heads will then use the goals to develop rubrics for the progression of students as they move through the program. These rubrics have been applied starting in the Spring 2009 semester at mid-residence and graduation reviews. A syllabus for each course taught will be required from all faculty and should include the relevance of the course as applied to the goals of the program.

At each stage of the five year WASC accreditation process there may be additional information requested that would help the Provost's Office as they compile the materials presented to the visiting WASC team. Please contact the Steering Committee representatives or the Provost's Office with questions.

If you're staff:

CalArts has committed to staff development as part of its reaffirmation of accreditation process. Staff members also serve as members of the WASC Steering Committee. It is important for all members of the CalArts staff to be aware of the process and the importance of WASC. Staff members may be engaged by visitors during the WASC campus visits. Much evaluation is about the learning process of our students therefore every office at the Institute will be impacted directly or indirectly.