I am pleased to share with you important news from Trident that shows our continuing strength as a university and our ability to serve our students.

First, the Department of Defense (DoD) signed a Voluntary Educational Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Trident University International (TUI). As a University committed to educating uniformed service members and their families we respect the due diligence demonstrated by the DoD approval process which included consultation with WASC regarding our accreditation status. The consummation of the DoD MOU allows us to continue over a decade of service to the military community.

Even though we view the DOD MOU approval as an important milestone, the University remains focused on Show Cause and our efforts to address the issues identified by the WASC Commission. The WASC team visited the Trident campus on November 7-8 to conduct a review of the progress the institution has made in addressing the issues identified in the Show Cause action letter. We feel positive about the WASC visit and look forward to the Commission’s assessment of our progress at its February 2012 meeting. It is important to note that Trident University International's accreditation remains in place through the "Show Cause" period and degrees earned or courses completed during this time frame are fully accredited. We are focused on transforming our organizational structure, systems and processes to ensure student care and academic excellence. We are optimistic about the future and would like to provide you a brief overview of our progress to date.

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) was contracted to conduct third party audits of our processes and to train staff on institutional administrative best practices. AACRAO noted in its report, “the attitude of the institution observed on both visits has been one of sincere, serious concern for the institution and their students.” The AACRAO visits were followed by the WASC special visit to Trident University in November. The WASC Commission is scheduled to meet in February 2012 to review the visiting team’s report, assess our progress, and make a determination on Trident University’s continued accreditation.

Any significant transformation begins with strong and committed leadership. It is my pleasure to announce that after a long and exhaustive search the Trident University International Board of Managers appointed Dr. Lucille Sansing as the President and CEO of Trident University International. Dr. Sansing possesses a solid track record of demonstrated leadership and commitment to a culture of academic and institutional integrity. Dr. Sansing recently joined Trident as our Provost and Executive Vice President. Prior to TUI she served for five years as the President of Argosy University – San Francisco Bay Area. Before joining Argosy Dr. Sansing served for 8 years as Provost of Notre Dame de Namur University, as Dean for Whitehead College at the University of Redlands and Associate Dean of Washington College. At the all-campus meeting this past week where this appointment was announced, Dr. Sansing said “I believe that Trident is a university with a great mission and great promise and am honored and humbled by this appointment.”

It has been my privilege to serve as Interim President and CEO of Trident University International. With the University in the very capable hands of Dr. Sansing, who brings extensive experience in leading a regionally accredited institution of higher education, and strong academic research and teaching credentials, I will transition back to our Board of Managers as Vice Chairman. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Dr. Sansing.

I am awed by the loyalty of our students and alumni and appreciative of the difficult work accomplished by our faculty and staff during my tenure. Trident University International will be a stronger institution resulting from the many improvements we have made during this period with the true beneficiaries being our loyal students. I thank you for your patience, trust and continued support as we position TUI to lead with integrity and excellence.

As we approach 2012, we embark on a period of continuous improvement for Trident University International that reinforces our path toward the educational excellence that lies at the heart of our mission. I would like to share with you some of the many investments we are making in the future of Trident that illustrate the vibrancy and strength of our Institution.

In response to the recent challenges and to ensure strict adherence to the Standards for Accreditation set forth by our accreditor we have expanded the leadership and staff of the Trident compliance unit, increased compliance monitoring efforts, and instituted new policies and procedures that hold all Trident operations to the highest standard of quality and control.

As always, we remain committed to bringing in leadership who possess a strong understanding of accreditation standards and requirements. In this tradition, we have appointed Dr. Lucille Sansing as Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer. We have also expanded staff and faculty with a series of new hires that are focused on student learning and assisting them in accomplishing their educational goals.

Recently, we opened our new, larger university campus filled with state-of the art technology and exciting amenities that emphasize our belief in the importance of our students, their education and our role in helping them realize their goals.

This week, we launched the new TUI website. This site, designed to optimize the user experience based on student and prospective student feedback, provides unparalleled access for students and alumni and reinforces TUI’s commitment to quality education. New features to the site include a robust faculty roster; the Hall of Distinguished Alumni which highlights prominent graduates of the university; the Net Price calculator that allows students to quickly assess the cost of attendance; and the Trident Gateway which recognizes and caters to the unique needs of visitors.

Over the next year, we will continue to share more exciting news about the enhancements we are making to TUI’s infrastructure and educational offerings. We look forward to working diligently to provide the highest quality educational experience for all our students in the years to come.

I am excited to announce the opening of our new Trident University International headquarters. Our new, larger facility is located adjacent to the former building and was designed with your educational experience in mind.

Our new home is filled with exciting amenities including a state-of-the-art data center, break out areas for faculty and staff meetings, a formal training center for student services, and an ergonomically efficient, open workspace. An additional 20,000 square feet of space will also provide new opportunities for the Student One Stop, admissions and student advising departments to work cohesively to enhance student support.

This new headquarters is one of the many investments we are making in the future of TUI that illustrate the vibrancy, expansion and strength of our University. These facilities provide faculty and staff with an ideal, collaborative setting to better assist students and to ensure the highest quality educational experience for years to come.

We would like to thank the faculty and staff for their input in the design of this new building and their dedication to providing a positive working environment and a strong collegiate atmosphere. Our new facility is the ideal headquarters for TUI and emphasizes our belief in the importance of our students, their education and our role in helping them realize their goals.

Over the coming weeks and months, I will be reaching out to you to share the many exciting additions we are making to the University that will further enhance your experience at TUI.

In the meantime, if you live in or are visiting Southern California, I invite you to come by and visit us at our new home located at 5757 Plaza Drive, Suite 100, Cypress, CA 90630.

I am writing to update you on TUI's progress toward ensuring that all undergraduate students and alumni meet the undergraduate general education competency requirements.

We recently completed a detailed review of over 13,000 records dating back to the fall of 2007. The vast majority of the degree plans met the University's general education requirements. Although some records remain unresolved pending receipt of official transcripts from institutions that students previously attended, the review identified that certain students and alumni were missing one or more required general education courses.

We are currently contacting all undergraduate students and undergraduate alumni since 2007 through phone and email personally to inform them of their status. We are committed to working with each individual to ensure his or her education record is accurate and, when necessary, to resolve missing GE requirements as expediently as possible with no additional cost to the individual. If you have not heard from us yet, you will in the near future. You may also contact our hotline at 877-293-5970 or via email at degreesupport@tuiu.edu.

It is important to note the quality of our academic instruction was never in question. Trident University International's accreditation remains in place through the "Show Cause" period, ending March 30, 2012. In November, a WASC team will visit the University to evaluate the corrective actions that we have taken to address the deficiencies noted by WASC. The WASC Commission will then meet in February 2012 to review the team's findings and determine TUI's accreditation status beyond the show cause period.

We are taking all measures and devoting significant resources to address identified deficiencies. In addition, TUI retained the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) to conduct an independent review of TUI's academic record management processes which has just been completed. We are in full agreement with the AACRAO team recommendations and will implement suggested administrative changes with the objective of achieving industry best practices in student academic records management and full compliance with WASC standards.

We are proud and humbled by the continued support and loyalty that our alumni and students display. We are committed to retaining your trust and confidence by continuing to deliver high quality education now and in the future.

I am the interim President and CEO of Trident University International and am writing to inform you of an issue affecting our school, and directly affecting an unknown but small percentage of undergraduate students and undergraduate alumni.

We have learned that some undergraduate students and alumni may be missing one or more of their required general education courses. The way in which we historically coded and categorized earned transfer credits for undergraduate students did not previously identify these missing credits. This administrative systems issue does not affect Doctoral or Master's degrees.

As a result of this situation and TUI's initial response, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), our accreditor, issued TUI an order to Show Cause why the accreditation of the institution should not be terminated as of March 30, 2012. The Commission found that Trident was not in compliance with elements of two WASC Standards for Accreditation.

We want you to know that our accredited status remains intact during the Show Cause period, and we are committed to taking all measures to maintain our accreditation.

As an institution committed to high standards and your success, we understand the gravity of this situation, and we want to reassure you that we accept full responsibility for complying with WASC standards. We welcome the direction and guidance provided by WASC and appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate we satisfy WASC's accreditation requirements. To this end, TUI is committed to instituting the necessary systems, policies and practices that will meet or exceed WASC's standards.

We are currently conducting a thorough review of more than 12,000 undergraduate academic records to identify impacted students. We anticipate completing this review within the next few weeks and upon completion we will contact currently enrolled undergraduate students and those undergraduates who have graduated to convey their status. Students and alumni missing general education courses will be provided with options to remedy the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible.

We are also working with experts in academic records from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions to confirm our review and analysis and to establish best practices and systems going forward, with a focus on the integrity of our degrees.

We understand that this situation can cause anxiety among our students and graduates, and I personally want to assure you that serving our students and graduates is our top priority and we are devoting every available resource to resolving this situation for you. We will continue to work closely with WASC to minimize the impact on you and maintain our accreditation.

WASC's Public Statement and Trident's response are available at http://www.trident.edu/accreditation-status. If you have any further questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at 877-293-5970.