Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Seattle Pacific University is accredited by the
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). NWCCU accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental, self-regulatory process of quality assurance and institutional improvement. It recognizes higher education institutions for performance, integrity, and quality to merit the confidence of the educational community and the public. Accreditation qualifies institutions and enrolled students for federal funds to support teaching, research, and financial aid. Institutions earn accreditation through analytical self-assessment and critical peer review based upon evaluation criteria that are objectively and equitably applied to institutions with diverse missions, characteristics, and cultures.
Professional Educator Standards Board
Educator preparation programs within the School of Education are approved by the
Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB). PESB is responsible for policy and oversight of Washington State's system of educator preparation, certification, continuing education, and assignment. The Board consists of twelve members appointed by the Governor, most whom are practicing educators. The Program Effectiveness and Policy team of PESB regulates educator preparation programs within the School of Education, which is authorized to certify teachers, principals, program administrators, superintendents, and school counselors. In addition, the Center for Professional Education is approved to offer professional development, additional endorsements, and professional certification.
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
The School Counseling M.Ed. program is accredited by the
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP accreditation denotes a commitment to program excellence. The accreditation process incorporates self-assessment along with external review to determine if program standards are being met.
Professional Memberships
Individual faculty in the school of education maintain memberships in various professional organizations aligned with their research interests, including American Educational Research Association, American Statisticians Association, Council for Exceptional Children, and Washington School Counselor Association, among others. The School of Education is also a member of the
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education,
Washington Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and
Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education.