The Western Region has a rich history of involvement in Summer Sessions Associations – first through the Western Association of Summer Sessions Administrators (WASSA) and then through NAASS. In 1946, a small group of summer session administrators met in Gunnison, Colorado, and formed the Rocky Mountain Association of Deans and Directors of Summer Schools. Over the next decade, institutions from outside the Rocky Mountain area were invited to participate in the association’s annual meeting. By 1963, the organization changed its name to the Western Association of Deans and Directors of Summer Schools, and by 1967, the organization changed the name to Western Association of Summer Session Administrators or WASSA.
In 1964, the leadership of WASSA assisted NAASS in organizing a national organization, and from this developed a long-standing collegial relationship and partnership. Throughout the years, both organizations supported each other in the exchange of information about summer session programs and administrative practices. Some of the NAASS regional vice presidents hosted yearly conferences for many years. In lieu of a NAASS Western Region Conference, WASSA coordinated the yearly regional conference at institutions across the region. The NAASS president regularly attended the WASSA annual conference and would also sponsor a meal.
NAASS invited WASSA to merge with them in 2015. After careful consideration, WASSA members voted in favor to merge with NAASS during the 2017 WASSA conference in Golden, Colorado effective January 1, 2018. The first Western Region of NAASS meeting was held in September 2019 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In fall 2024, the 60th NAASS annual conference will be held in the Western Region.
