Portland, OR —April 22, 2026— American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS), a fully online, DEAC-accredited institution and Certified B Corporation®, helped shape the national conversation on the future of higher education at the WSCUC ARC 2026 conference in San Francisco, April 8 to 10. Led by President Tracey Abell, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Tiffany Rodriguez, and Dean of Institutional Effectiveness and Library Services Dr. Ashley Chou, the ACHS academic leadership contributed to the conference theme Mission > Action > Impact through four sessions on AI-resilient assessment, workforce-aligned degree design, and the strategic use of accreditation evidence.
ACHS has long operated at the leading edge of online, mission-driven education. As an early adopter of fully online delivery in the integrative health sciences and one of a small number of institutions advancing a workforce-validated 90-credit bachelor’s degree, ACHS brought to ARC 2026 the perspective of an institution that has built its academic models from the ground up to meet the demands of a changing economy and a transforming technology landscape.
“Higher education is being asked to evolve quickly, and it is critical for institutions to come together to share what is working. ACHS came to ARC ready to contribute to that conversation and to learn from peers across the WSCUC community,” said Tracey Abell, President of ACHS.
ACHS shared thought leadership at several sessions at ARC 2026, including:
- Assessment Reimagined: Building Authentic Evidence of Student Learning in the AI Era (pre-conference workshop);
- Beyond the Credit Cut: A Design Thinking Model for Developing Quality Three-Year Bachelor Degrees;
- From Compliance to Capability: Leading Authentic Assessment and Learning Transformation in the Age of AI (with sponsor LearnWise AI); and
- The Friday Feature: The Power of Your Institutional Story: Turning Accreditation into Opportunity.
Through its participation at ARC 2026, ACHS reinforced its commitment to advancing innovative, workforce-aligned online education that responds to emerging technologies while maintaining academic rigor, authentic assessment practices, and student-centered outcomes.
About American College of Healthcare Sciences
Founded in 1978, American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) is a fully online, DEAC-accredited institution headquartered in Portland, Oregon, offering certificates, undergraduate and graduate degrees in aromatherapy, herbal medicine, integrative health and nutrition, and integrative healthcare. ACHS is a Certified B Corporation®, operates the Apothecary Shoppe for experiential lab kits, and offers professional microcredentials at learn.achs.edu. Learn more at achs.edu.