Reception Kicks Off Re-accreditation Process at Northwestern

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Northwestern kicked off its self-study process for re-accreditation with a reception in early November. According to Mark Zeigler, DC, president of Northwestern, the process will enable the University to be fully prepared when the review for re-accreditation takes place.

The self-study process, which takes place every 10 years, will come to completion in 2010. The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) is one of six regional institutional accrediting agencies in the United States, and is the agency which will review Northwestern.

“The self study process will provide us with a tool for introspection and involves each one of us, and allows us to have an impact on the strategic direction of the University,” Dr. Zeigler said.

Noni Threinen, DC, MS, associate vice-president of institutional effectiveness, will lead Northwestern in the process, which involves meeting five main criteria including:

• Mission and Integrity
• Preparing For the Future
• Student Learning and Effective Teaching
• Acquisition, Discovery and Application of Knowledge
• Engagement and Service

“We’re trying to figure this into our continuous improvement model, ” Dr. Threinen said. “We’re not going to reinvent the wheel, but we will continue to grow and move forward as we have in the last few years.”

Northwestern Health Sciences University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, human biology, and integrative health and wellness. The University has more than 900 full-time students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minn.