What is WASC Accreditation?

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is the regional organization that provides umbrella accreditation for UCLA as a whole, through its Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities. This site displays the plans, processes, data, analyses and reports associated with UCLA’s reaccreditation by WASC.

To become or remain accredited, institutions must meet WASC Standards and satisfy WASC Criteria for Review. Accreditation confers a variety of benefits, especially the right to administer federal financial aid. The accreditation process is described in detail in WASC’s Handbook of Accreditation. The Evidence Guide provides additional information.

Reaccreditation involves three processes over three years:

1. Preparation of an Institutional Proposal, which describes the institution’s plans for reaccreditation. WASC approved UCLA’s proposal in June 2006.
2. A Capacity and Preparatory Review, which focuses on organizational capacity (e.g., purposes, integrity, stability, resources, structures, processes and policies). UCLA’s site visit associated with this review is scheduled for March 5-7, 2008.
3. An Educational Effectiveness Review, which focuses on student and institutional learning, including educational objectives and indicators of effectiveness. UCLA’s site visit associated with this review is scheduled for March 4-6, 2009.