MEDIA ADVISORY

TO:                     News Directors, Assignment Editors and Education Reporters

SUBJECT:           Accreditation Findings Presented at Open Assembly

LOCATION:         Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom

DATE & TIME:     Oct. 10, 2001 at 11:30 a.m.

Accreditation findings for the University of Alaska Fairbanks will be presented Oct. 10 at 11:30 a.m. in the Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom.

The university community is invited to the presentation by the accreditation site visit team chaired by Dr. Robert A. Hoover, President of the University of Idaho. The presentation brings to a close the self-study process for reaffirmation of UAF's institutional accreditation.

The accreditation site visit team will visit UAF rural campuses Oct. 3-5 and Fairbanks Oct. 8-10 to meet with administrators, students, staff and faculty. The team will present preliminary findings Oct. 10 and submit a final written evaluation report to the Commission on Colleges and Universities of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges in December 2001. The Commission then votes on reaffirmation of accreditation.

Accreditation refers to the process of assessing and recognizing the educational institution for performance, integrity, and quality. To maintain accreditation, most institutions of higher education undertake self-studies every ten years that usually involve an appraisal of their mission, goals, processes, operations, and achievements. UAF has been continuously accredited since 1934. Such recognition is required for federal funding of financial aid and the transfer of credit hours between institutions.

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CONTACT: UAF Accreditation Steering Committee Co-Chair Dana Thomas at (907) 474-6103, or Co-Chair Ron Gatterdam at (907) 474-6174. For more information on UAF's accreditation go to http://www.uaf.edu/provost/accreditation. To participate via audio conference call: 1-877-751-8040, pass code 812372.

CJB/09-14-01/02-011ma