Executive vice president, COO accepts prestigious regional accreditation post

Harold Hewitt, Jr., Chapman University’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, has been elected chair of the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), one of the six regional accrediting authorities in the United States.

“I am delighted to accept and to serve in this important role for WASC,” Hewitt said.  “As an advocate of regional accreditation, I look forward to working with our region’s institutions, commissioners and staff to implement our new handbook and its related policies, and to working with the other regional accreditors and the U.S. Department of Education to solve the challenges set before us.  It is truly an honor to be elected to lead this commission, and it has been particularly gratifying to know that I have the full support of Chapman University as accept this responsibility at WASC.”

“Chapman University is very proud to have our skilled and dedicated EVP and COO serve as chair of this important WASC commission,” said Chapman President Jim Doti. “They could not have selected a better leader, and in fact, Harold’s election serves as further proof that Chapman is increasingly being seen as a leader itself in regional and national higher education.”

Hewitt joined WASC’s Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities in 2009, and has been a WASC volunteer for more than 20 years, serving on visiting teams, appeals panels and chairing teams and committees. Prior to accepting his position as EVP and COO at Chapman in 2007, he served for two years as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. He has also served in senior financial officer positions at Occidental College and Whittier College.

Hewitt holds a B.A. in philosophy from Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at The Claremont Graduate University. He has been very active in higher education professional associations, including serving as the Program Chair for the Western Association of College and University Business Officers’ (WACUBO) Annual Conference, which will be held this coming June; as a member of the WACUBO Board of Directors; and on various committees of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).