Silver City, NM – Western New Mexico University's campus-wide accreditation has been reaffirmed by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The commission is scheduled to conduct its next reaffirmation of accreditation for WNMU in 2022-2023.

The accreditation reaffirmation follows a quality check-up by an accreditation team to the main campus in April that involved extensive preparation and collaboration by the faculty, staff and students.

"This is an exceptional success obtained through the efforts, diligence and dedication of the entire campus community," said WNMU President Joseph Shepard. "The visit in April came at a time when the university was in the process of making some very difficult decisions regarding the budget and reorganization. WNMU's quality and professionalism was evident throughout and the entire campus community is to be commended for our collective achievement."

WNMU was found to have no accreditation issues identified in the 2014 Systems Appraisal, a feedback report, and the university was also credited with making improvements in all portfolio categories since the 2010 Systems Appraisal. WNMU met all Criteria and Core Components. The commission noted that WNMU has shown a continued commitment to continuous improvement.

"This report reaffirms the quality education our students receive at Western and of the professionalism and the dedication that our faculty and staff demonstrate inside and outside of the classroom on a daily basis. Their efforts are deeply appreciated," added Shepard.

WNMU Provost Jack Crocker explained the importance of accreditation to colleges and universities. "Universities with a loss of accreditation are prevented by federal rules from providing financial aid to students. Other colleges and universities would not accept academic credits for transfer. Academic degrees would lose credibility. In short, a loss of regional accreditation could shut down a university."

The commission is scheduled to conduct its next reaffirmation of accreditation for WNMU in 2022-2023 with AQIP Systems Appraisals in 2017 and 2021.

HLC is an independent corporation that serves as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region, which includes New Mexico and 18 other states.

Western New Mexico University has served the people of the state of New Mexico and its surrounding areas as a comprehensive, regional, rural, public coeducational university since 1893 and serves a student body diverse in age, culture, language and ethnic background.