Accreditation

TCC is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Accreditation is the nationally and regionally mandated process of recognizing education institutions for performance, integrity and quality that entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public. It validates the degrees/certificates we offer through the Dept. of Education, and secures Title IV federal funding (teaching, research, financial aid).

Accreditation for the College is done through an independent peer review. The goal is to establish and maintain an acceptable quality of educational programs and institutional effectiveness. The accreditation process is a seven year cycle, which recently concluded in Spring 2021 with a successful accreditation. You can see all past reports at the bottom of the page.

Our Upcoming Important Dates are:

Spring 2024: Mid-Cycle Review

Spring 2027: Year 6 – Standard 2 – Policies, Regulations, and Financial Review

Spring 2028: Year 7 Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness

The Process

Annual Report	Disaggregated Data Student Achievement Financials	Annual Submission Staff Review Update on outstanding recommendations
Mid-Cycle Report	Report and Onsite Review (Spring 2024) Assessment Data Collection and Analysis Planning	Onsite peer review in Year 3 Staff review of evaluation reports for Commission Meeting consent agenda
Year Six, Standard Two, Policies, Regulations, and Financial Review (PRFR)	Report and Offsite Review (Spring 2027) Financial Performance Policies and Regulations	Offsite peer review in Year 6 Findings reported to EIE Team in Year 7
Year Seven, Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness (EIE)	Report and Onsite Review of Student Success (Spring 2028) Institutional Mission and Effectiveness Student Learning Student Achievement	Onsite peer review in Year 7 Review findings from PRFR Commission Decision

Regional Accreditation Statement

Tacoma Community College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

Accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.

Inquiries regarding an institution's accredited status by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution.

Individuals may also contact:

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
8060 165th Avenue N.E., Suite 100
Redmond, WA 98052
425-558-4224
www.nwccu.org

NWCCU Accreditation at TCC

2021: TCC Accreditation

• 2021 Self Evaluation
• 2021 Accreditation Report Corrections
• 2021 Commission Letter of Accreditation (pdf)

In Spring 2021, TCC hosted NWCCU evaluators in its first fully virtual accreditation. In an unprecedented decision, the NWCCU Commission decided to award four commendations and no recommendations.

2017: Mid Cycle Self Evaluation & Bachelor Level Accreditation

• 2017 Mid Cycle Self Evaluation Report (pdf)
• Recommendation 1 Ad Hoc Report (pdf)

The mid-cycle evaluation report doesn't include a visit to the campus, but a group of NWCCU commissioners provides input on ways that the college/university can improve before their accreditation. The Ad Hoc Report was all that was required of Recommendation 1, and satisfied the terms of lifting that recommendation from the college.

• Bachelors of Science (HIM) Program Accreditation Request (pdf)
• Bachelor Level Accreditation: NWCCU Letter to TCC (pdf)

The new Bachelors of Sciences in Health Information Management was submitted for NWCCU to accredit. NWCCU accepted and the college became accredited for Bachelor-level degree programs.

Summer 2016 & Winter 2017: Resolution of Recommendation 2

• August 2016 Recommendation 2 Update (pdf)
• January 2017 Lifting of Probationary Status: NWCCU Letter to TCC (pdf)

In June of 2016, TCC received the report from the State Auditor’s Office and the Board of Trustees proceeded to review the three recommendations from the state auditor with the TCC Finance Office. TCC informed NWCCU of their progress at the end of summer. The NWCCU commission reviewed the auditor’s reports and TCC plans to improve, and on January 7th voted to withdraw Recommendation 2 and lift the probationary status.

Spring 2016: Follow-up on Recommendation 2

• May 2016 Recommendation 2 Update (pdf)
• Notification of Probationary Status: NWCCU Letter to TCC (pdf)

The auditing reports for Fiscal Years 2013-14 and 2014-15 had been submitted to the State Auditor’s Office, but had not yet been completed at the time of the letter. In 2016, this was the end of the recommendation period, and now NWCCU imposed a probation on TCC, pending satisfactory financial auditing.

2015: Follow-up on Recommendation 2

• 2015 Recommendation 2 Update (pdf)
• Acceptance of Recommendation Deferral: NWCCU Letter to TCC (pdf)

New processes occurring with the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges required annual financial audits at the same time that NWCCU was requiring financial audits of TCC. TCC submitted their audit information to the State Auditor’s Office, but they were overwhelmed with the number of new audits required. NWCCU accepted that audits would not be submitted until 2016.

2014: School Accreditation

• Self- Evaluation Report (2014) (pdf)
• 2014 Accreditation Reaffirmation: NWCCU Letter to TCC (2014) (pdf)

This letter included two recommendations:

1. That the school provide an Ad Hoc Report in 2017 to update NWCCU on appropriate staffing levels. NWCCU found TCC to be in compliance, but in need of improvement.
2. The school conduct annual financial audits until meeting the finance standards of NWCCU.

2012: Mid-Cycle Evaluation

• Accreditation Self-Evaluation (2012) (pdf)

Financial Statement Audits

The College undergoes an annual financial statement audit as part of the Accreditation Process (NWCCU Standard 2.E.1), and the College has received a clean (unmodified) opinion on our financial statement audits starting with FY2014 through FY2018 noted below. 

If you have questions on any of these financial statements, please contract Patty McCray-Roberts at 253-566-5050, or email pmccray-roberts@tacomacc.edu. 

Financial Statements	Audit Reports
FY19 Financial Statement FY18 Financial Statement FY17 Financial Statement FY16 Financial Statement FY15 Financial Statement	2015 Financial Statements Audit Report 2014 Financial Statements Audit Report