Updated August 18, 2025

The Northwest Commission on College and Universities (NWCCU), Wenatchee Valley College’s accrediting body, issued a warning because we are out of compliance with accreditation standards related to training our faculty and staff on communication and respectful workplace practices. 

Below are some explanations about what this warning means.

What does a warning mean?

A warning is a formal sanction issued by NWCCU that is intended to guide an institution toward correcting their actions so they can remain in compliance with accreditation standards.  

Wenatchee Valley College was cited as out-of-compliance with the NWCCU standards for accreditation on August 11, 2025 after the Spring 2025 accreditation report and special visit from NWCCU accreditors. WVC must address NWCCU’s recommendations by August 2029. We are fully confident that we will come into compliance before this deadline. 

Is WVC still accredited?

Yes! Wenatchee Valley College is a member institution with the NWCCU and remains accredited while we work on implementing the recommendations from our accrediting body. 

What are the NWCCU recommendations?

The US Department of Education commissions regional agencies to evaluate colleges and universities based on a set of standards.  Our regional accreditors, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), establish those standards. The two recommendations WVC needs to address to come into compliance are:   

1. “All WVC administrators and supervisors receive ongoing training on ethical management, operations, transparent communication, and the respectful, consistent, fair, timely, and ethical handling of complaints and grievances. (2020 Standard(s) 2.D.2; ER 7; ER 8)” 

1. All employees (faculty and staff) “receive ongoing training on effective workplace communication, preventing bullying, harassment, and discrimination, and how the complaint and grievance process works (including confidentiality). (2020 Standard(s) 2.D.2; ER 7; ER 8)” 

What is WVC doing to come into compliance?

Wenatchee Valley College has begun addressing these recommendations and will take the following steps:  

1. Provide training related to effective workplace communication, processes, and adherence to professional expectations, which has been initiated by Human Resources and will continue.
2. Hold all-district meetings for faculty and staff so we can come together to address these issues and create a work environment in which everyone is free from harassment, bullying, and discrimination.  
3. Work on scheduling a date for NWCCU to come and present at an all-district meeting this academic year. 

Questions or comments?

Contact WVC’s Accreditation Liaison Officer Dr. Robin Angotti at rangotti@wvc.edu. Dr. Angotti serves as the executive director of Assessment, Strategic Planning, Institutional Research, and Effectiveness (ASPIRE) and values your input.