The Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities has approved the substantive change of Prince William Sound Community College to move under the accreditation of the University of Alaska Anchorage. The change brings to an end a process that began over a year ago. NWCCU approved the following actions already approved by the UA Board of Regents:
- Prince William Sound Community College will now become one of four Community Campuses of the University of Alaska Anchorage;
- Prince William Sound Community College will be formally renamed as Prince William Sound College and will no longer be separately academically accredited;
- Over a three-year period, the academic courses and academic programs of Prince William Sound College will be revised to align with similar courses and programs of UAA;
- Academic assessment processes will also be aligned as well as policies, fees, publications, and other educational processes;
- Faculty of Prince William Sound College will now have the opportunity to serve as elected members of the UAA Faculty Senate;
- Prince William Sound College will be included through UAA’s budget submission to the University of Alaska System and the Board of Regents; and
- Prince William Sound College will maintain its unique mission to serve the communities within the service area of south central Alaska.
Many of these elements have already been in place for several years as part of standard operating procedures, some have been evolving and in motion since the approved changes by the Board of Regents, and others will be part of a transitioning process that will take 2-3 years.
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“Our mission essentially remains the same, to serve the citizens of Prince William Sound region,” says college President J. Daniel O’Connor. “We will maintain our flagship annual event, the Last Frontier Theatre Conference, and other community programs like the Health & Fitness Center and the Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum. We will continue to provide training for local industry and access to courses and programs for degree completion and transfer. We will maintain control of our own budget and continue to explore expanded academic and career opportunities through the University of Alaska System.”
Most of the changes will be to the college’s internal processes, and imperceptible to our users. Many parts of the college, including the Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, and the Office of Administrative Services, have heavily relied on UAA since the college’s creation.
The transition has resulted in financial saving already. An information technology positions audit, equipment and infrastructure inventory, and services and processes that were merged with UAA IT Department saved PWSCC at least $100,000; Human Resources processes being streamlined and transitioned to UAA HR for data entry and archival of documents saves the college the equivalent of a fully-benefited employee position, around $80,000; and financial aid processes and disbursements are now maintained at UAA with the valued-added opportunity for ongoing support and staff training, saving another $80,000. Some changes that may provide challenges, such as increased standards for the high school dual credit program, will provide a higher quality experience for students in the long run.
