WASC Congratulates Kellogg School on "Exemplary" Proposal

By Mika Ono

The Scripps Research Institute's Kellogg School of Science and Technology has passed a major hurdle in the three-year reaccreditation process with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The Kellogg School's proposal, which outlined a self-study action plan aimed at continual improvement of the graduate program, has been accepted.

"The panel wishes to communicate that they considered [the proposal] to be exemplary," writes WASC Associate Director Neil Hoffman in the acceptance letter. "In addition to describing it as well organized, 'tight,' with good context in relation to the institutional mission, they viewed it as enlightening. Congratulations on your team effort that resulted in a proposal that we wish to use as a model for the WASC accreditation process."

Dean Jeffery Kelly thanked the many individuals who contributed to the proposal.

Putting together the document was a year-long effort, involving meetings of six Scripps Research committees—the Academic Steering Committee, the Student Accreditation Committee, the Reporting Committee , the Faculty Theme Committee, the Post Docs Theme Committee, and the Student Theme Committee. In addition, a draft of the proposal was posted for review by the Scripps Research community at large on a web site designed specifically to communicate news and information on the effort.

The accepted proposal now becomes the framework for the remaining accreditation steps, a Capacity and Preparatory Review, which will be conducted in spring 2009, and an Educational Effectiveness Review, projected for in fall 2010.

"I look forward to continued input from individuals across the institute as we move forward in the accreditation process," says Kelly, who underlined Scripps Research's commitment to continuous improvement in all academic, educational, and administrative areas on campus.

WASC is one of six regional institutions in the United States that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities with the goal of establishing and maintaining high standards of quality and effectiveness. The maximum period of accreditation is ten years—granted to the Kellogg School in 1999.

For more information, including the full text of the proposal acceptance letter, see the Kellogg School accreditation web site: http://www.scripps.edu/library/Accreditation/i_index.html.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

"I look forward to continued input from individuals across the institute as we move forward in the accreditation process."

—Jeffery Kelly