7/11/2022
UNIVERSITY of the WEST (UWest) in the United States received another six-year accreditation from the WASC Senior College & University Commission (WSCUC) on July 11, 2022. In the accreditation letter, the committee commended UWest for its clear and convincing mission, vision and values, cohesive administration and leadership, solid graduate programs, and caring faculty. It recognized Dr. Minh-Hoa Ta, president of UWest, for her executive team’s hard work from writing the university's self-evaluation report to the WSCUC team's arrival assessment visit in March this year. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and directors each played an important role in the successful recertification process.
Generally, universities have had to pass the evaluation before they can become a qualified university. The WASC Senior College & University Commission—the highest institution for college accreditation in the western region of the United States—has accredited UWest for the third time in a row since 2006, making all credits obtained by UWest students recognized by other universities in the United States. UWest is also recognized by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan and is on the Ministry of Education Reference List of American Colleges and Universities.
Founded by Ven. Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan Monastery, with the aim of establishing a comprehensive university in the United States and with the philosophy of Humanistic Buddhism—this is the first university founded by and vested in by Chinese.
UWest adopted a semester system; therefore, each academic year consists of three semesters: fall, spring and summer. Currently there are departments of: Religious Studies, Buddhist Chaplaincy, Business Administration, Psychology, English, and of Liberal Arts. The curriculum integrated humanities and sciences, theory and practice, and East and West. Through diversified and well-rounded teaching, students have been immersed in a rich knowledge and cultural environment developing their strengths for the workplace and the world.
There are only three schools in the United States that offer Buddhist chaplaincy. UWest is one of them! Once graduated from the program, students can immediately enter the workplace like hospitals, military, and prisons. UNIVERSITY of the WEST is a university with multiculturalism, modernity, and conformed to American standards. All are welcomed to visit UWest and its website, https://www.uwest.edu/.
