University Mission
At West Coast University, we embrace a student-centric learning partnership that leads to professional success. We deliver transformational education within a culture of integrity and personal accountability. We design market-responsive programs through collaboration between faculty and industry professionals. We continuously pursue more effective and innovative ways through which students develop the competencies and confidence required in a complex and changing world.
University Values
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Academic Integrity and Intellectual Honesty
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We are committed to a culture where ethical conduct governs our interactions.
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A Culture of Mutual Respect
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We believe each member of the University community can significantly contribute to the fulfillment of our mission.
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Student Learning
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We are committed to continuous assessment, evaluation and improvement of student learning.
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The Communities We Serve
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We take very seriously our responsibility to make a positive impact on the communities that surround us geographically and professionally.
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A Student-Centric Culture
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We believe it is our institutional responsibility to identify, understand, and respond to student needs.
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Agility and Responsiveness
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We respond quickly to the needs of our students, faculty, and associates.
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Innovation and Creativity
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We are committed to bringing innovation and creativity to the development and delivery of instruction, and in identifying solutions to complex and challenging problems.
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Diversity
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We encourage diversity of thought, ethnicity, culture and experience recognizing that through multiple and often differing perspectives offered in a collegial setting, the best ideas emerge.
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Efficient Use of Resources
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Through our stewardship, we develop solutions that make the best use of investments in time and other resources.
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Institutional Learning Outcomes
Institutional learning outcomes are designed by the University as a whole, taking into account the role that both instruction and student services play in contributing to a student’s success. Institutional learning outcomes assume achievement of the stated programmatic learning outcomes of one’s discipline.
Upon graduating from a degree program offered by West Coast University, students should be able to:
- Implement intellectual and practical problem solving skills through information assessment and critical thinking.
- Demonstrate effective written communication skills.
- Demonstrate effective oral communication skills.
- Demonstrate computer proficiency and information literacy.
- Describe ethical standards and legal guidelines associated with one’s chosen career field.
- Explain why knowledge of and respect for the societal contributions of diverse cultures and perspectives is an important quality in one’s discipline.
University History
West Coast University (WCU) was originally chartered in California in 1909 as an ophthalmology school. In 1953, the University added evening-only programs. The success of this approach led the University to expand and diversify its programs to include offerings in health science. The University achieved accreditation by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (ACSCU) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in 1963 and maintained that accreditation until March 1997. Associate degrees in science and master’s degree programs were introduced in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. In 1981, the University reorganized into three distinct colleges; the College of Business and Management, the College of Engineering, and the College of Letters and Sciences.
In May of 1997, new leadership was committed to refocusing the Institution’s program offerings to high-demand health care related programs that would be beneficial to working adults. These programs included Nursing, Dental Hygiene, and Health Care Management. West Coast University became accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) in 2002.
A branch campus in Orange County opened for classes in September of 2007. At the same time, the University launched its first online classes to provide greater flexibility for its students. An additional branch campus in Ontario, California, began offering classes in November of 2008. In 2009 the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree achieved accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
In June 2010, the University achieved an additional milestone, as it was approved to offer Masters degree programs in Nursing and Health Care Management by ACICS. In October of 2010, the Orange County, California campus Bachelor of Science program in Dental Hygiene received accreditation though the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The Master of Science in Nursing program achieved CCNE accreditation in 2012.
In addition, in 2010 the University applied for Eligibility from the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). In fall of 2011, WASC granted the University accreditation.
In 2012 West Coast University opened its fourth campus in Dallas, Texas. The campus offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, the first one for the institution outside of the State of California.
In early 2013 West Coast University received voluntary exemption status from the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). As growth progressed, WCU opened its graduate learning center near downtown Los Angeles at 590 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90004. In the fall of 2013, the University opened its Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program at the Los Angeles Campus.
University Academic Freedom and Responsibility
West Coast University supports an environment of open investigation and animated discourse in the pursuit of enhanced student learning. In the spirit of Academic Freedom, faculty members are encouraged to engage in an exhaustive quest of relevant inquiry that is free from outside intervention. Faculty members have the right and responsibility to express their understanding of the facts related to the subject matter in a manner that is educationally effective and professionally appropriate; furthermore, faculty are expected to engage in continuous assessment and programmatic self-reflection to ensure students demonstrate competence in identified learning outcomes. Faculty members are expected to keep abreast of developments in the field and to share their knowledge with students. Within the University’s model of shared governance, faculty members are urged to collaborate with colleagues to identify opportunities for improvement in scholarship, teaching and learning.
Curricular consistency is paramount to a culture of assessment that embraces ongoing student learning assessment, program evaluation, and responsive change. Accordingly, faculty share co-ownership over a common curriculum, whereby all courses are taught in alignment with a faculty-developed master syllabus. It is recognized that faculty members possess broad differences in areas of expertise, research interests, and styles of instructional delivery. This richness of diversity powerfully contributes to a learning environment that produces original thought, creative inspiration, and critical reasoning skills. In summation, Academic Freedom is interwoven into all teaching and learning processes that sustain learning outcomes and ultimately produce lifelong contributions to society.
Similarly, staff members have the right and responsibility to keep abreast of developments in their professional fields, and to share knowledge with their colleagues in the field. West Coast University expects that staff members will express this freedom in an appropriate way in compliance with their professional responsibilities to serve students, faculty and the institution.
Institutional Accreditation
West Coast University is accredited by WASC Senior College of University Commission, a regional accreditation body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). WASC is located at 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite #100, Alameda, CA 94501, 510-748-9001.
WASC Senior College and University Commission*
985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100
Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 748-9001
www.wascsenior.org
Original Accreditation: January 1963 to March 1997
New Grant: November 4, 2011
*In July 2013, WASC changed it's senior division name from Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACSCU-WASC) to WASC Senior College and University Commission.
Please Note: The University was accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) to award Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees since August 2002, however, recently had a voluntarily grant withdrawal in January 2013.