Accreditation Site Visit Next Steps

We are grateful to all campus community members who participated in the accreditation site visit, including the faculty, staff, and student open forums, April 24-26, 2024.

The evaluation team will submit their report to the NWCCU Board of Commissioners in the coming weeks. The Board's conclusions regarding UM's continued accreditation will be published on this webpage in July 2024.

Please direct questions to Claudine Cellier, Accreditation Liaison Officer or John DeBoer, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.

Institutional Accreditation

The University of Montana has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 1932.

Accreditation by NWCCU is not granted permanently or for a definite number of years. It is an ongoing status that must be reaffirmed periodically. Every institution is to conduct a self-study and be visited by an evaluation committee at least every seven years. The University Assessment and Accreditation Committee is responsible for preparing the reports that show that UM is meeting NWCCU Accreditation standards.

The accreditation standards are intended to guide institutions in a process of self-reflection that blends analysis and synthesis in a holistic examination of:

• The institution's Mission;
• The translation of the Mission into assessable objectives supported by programs and services;
• The appraisal of the institution's potential to fulfill the Mission;
• The planning and implementation involved in achieving and assessing the desired outcomes of programs and services; and
• An evaluation of the results of the institution's efforts to fulfill the Mission and assess its ability to monitor its environment, adapt, and sustain itself as a viable institution.

(the above information is taken from NWCCU.org)

If you have questions about UM's accreditation by NWCCU, please contact Claudine Cellier, Accreditation Liaison Officer, at 243-5718.

UM Accreditation documents:

Current accreditation documents:

• UM's Year 7 (Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness) Self-Evaluation Report (2024)
• UM's Year 6 (Policies, Regulations, and Financial Review Self-study) Accreditation Report (2023)
• July 2020 letter from NWCCU reaffirming accreditation
• UM's Year 3 (Mid-cycle evaluation) Accreditation Report (2020)
• August 2018 letter from NWCCU reaffirming accreditation
• UM's Year 1 (Self-evaluation) Accreditation Report (2018)

General Education Assessment Pilot Project Demonstration

• UM General Education Assessment Report May 2015

Past accreditation reports:

• UM's Demonstration Project Year 7 Report 
• UM's Year 3 Accreditation Report (2014)
• UM's Year 1 Accreditation Report (2011)
• 2010 Self-Study report (2010)