The U.S. Department of Education says, "the goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality."

Utah State University seeks to exceed those standards and expectations. Our regional accreditor, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) notes that accreditation standards are "expectations of quality and effectiveness that function as...a framework for continuous improvement." They enable "institutional self reflection and peer evaluation by examining the institution's mission, its translation of that mission into practice, its potential to fulfill its mission, and the results of its efforts to achieve that mission.

NWCCU establishes five standards that Utah State University must meet:

1) Mission, Core Themes, and Expectations

2) Resources and Capacity

3) Planning and Implementation

4) Effectiveness and Improvement

5) Mission Fulfillment, Adaptation, and Sustainability

USU uses every opportunity to establish and demonstrate systems of continuous improvement. Accreditation helps perfect our role as a premier, student centered, land-grant, and space-grant university, as we foster the principle that academics come first, cultivate diversity of thought and culture, and serve the public through learning, discovery, and engagement.

Details of USU's most recent accreditation work are available through the links on the left.

Analysis in the university context is also called institutional research. Institutional research includes the collection and analysis of data on students, faculty, staff, and educational facilities. Utah State University conducts analysis in order to promote institutional effectiveness and to inform planning and decision-making.

In the top nav bar, you will find information on Utah State University staff, faculty, students and facilities. We encourage you to contact us directly if you have specfic questions that we might be able to help answer.

ASSESSMENT

How is Utah State University meeting its mission and vision goals? What results are we generating for individual learners, our learning community and society as a whole? What can we do better in a spirit of continuous improvement? You can find answers here.

MISSION

Utah State University is a premier student-centered, land-grant and space-grant university. We foster the principle that academics come first; we cultivate diversity of thought and culture; and we serve the public through learning, discovery, and engagement.

VISION

Utah State University, as a state-wide multi-campus system, will be internationally recognized for its exceptional learning opportunities and world-class research. We strive to achieve the highest level of excellence in learning, discovery, and engagement in an environment of trust and respect. We endeavor to expand educational access to a diverse community. We seek to enhance the quality of life for individuals and communities, by promoting arts and cultural programming, by working toward environmental sustainability, and by developing the technologies of tomorrow to drive economic development in Utah, as well as in the global marketplace.