April 21, 1997 Contact John R. Crosiar (541) 346-3135 WHAT The Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NASC) accreditation team will present its preliminary report on how well the University of Oregon measures up to standards ranging from scholarship and research to finance and physical facilities. WHEN 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 23 WHERE Browsing Room, Knight Library, 1501 Kincaid St. WHO * Joan K. Wadlow, site team chair and chancellor of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and other site team members * Dave Frohnmayer, UO president, and other UO officials * Members of the UO Accreditation Self-Study Steering Committee BACKGROUND Accreditation, based on an evaluation every 10 years, is intended to assure that the University of Oregon and other NASC-member colleges and universities meet self-regulated standards. These standards involve institutional mission and objectives, finance, physical plant, library and information resources, educational programs, continuing education and special instructional activities, instructional staff and faculty evaluation, administration, students, scholarship and research, and graduate programs. The 15-member accreditation site team's three-day visit to the UO campus is the culmination of a 14-month self-study by university officials. During that time, an Accreditation Self-Study Steering Committee, co-chaired by Assistant Vice Provost Susan Plass and chemistry Professor Robert Mazo, has gathered and analyzed information from many parts of campus to document UO compliance with the standards. The site team's visit provides outside evaluators an opportunity to meet with campus representatives in a series of public and private sessions to review and clarify any questions they may have about the university's self-study. A general campus meeting with the team is set for 3 p.m. Monday, April 21, in the Ben Linder Room of the Erb Memorial Union, 1222 E. 13th Ave. The team's visit ends Wednesday. The University of Oregon, elected to membership in the Association of American Universities in 1969, has full accreditation from the NASC and from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Individual programs in the university's professional schools and colleges are accredited by various accrediting organizations related to their respective fields of study. -30- #A-2253/Local