Yellowstone Times

Montana State University has had its institutional accreditation reaffirmed by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The commission commended the university for its dedication to the land-grant mission, support of Native American culture, and development of processes for assessing student learning and success. MSU undergoes this accreditation process every seven years.

In October, an NWCCU team visited MSU as part of a comprehensive evaluation. This team included faculty and staff from peer institutions within the NWCCU region. They met with students, faculty, staff, and Board of Regents members to review MSU’s accreditation status alongside its institutional self-evaluation report.

Robert Mokwa, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at MSU, stated: “Accreditation provides the university an opportunity to assess our accomplishments and to focus on institutional improvement. We welcome this process foremost as a way of demonstrating our commitment to our students, but there are also important, practical benefits that come with accreditation, such as student eligibility for federal financial aid.”

The NWCCU praised MSU’s commitment as an open access land-grant institution serving Montana's academic and workforce needs. The commission highlighted MSU’s support for Native American culture through initiatives like the LEED platinum-certified American Indian Hall and the Paths to Student Well-being Model. Additionally, they recognized efforts in recruiting at tribal colleges and incorporating Indigenous content into curricula.

The commission also acknowledged MSU's rapid development of a process for assessing program learning outcomes and tracking student success factors. However, they recommended that MSU evaluate its academic advising effectiveness, establish comparative student achievement indicators with regional peers, and implement assessment processes across all programs.

Mokwa commented: “Having our university’s accreditation reaffirmed reminds us that the work MSU takes on every day on behalf of our students and community matters. We use this milestone as an opportunity to recommit to our teaching, learning and outreach efforts.”

NWCCU is recognized by both the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Its accreditation indicates that an institution meets or exceeds quality criteria through peer-review evaluation. This voluntary process enables federal financial aid eligibility for students and potential federal funding for programs. Montana State University has maintained its accreditation since 1932; it was last reaffirmed in 2018.