Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is WASC?

Why seek accreditation?

Are other UC and CSU campuses accredited?

What is new about the reaccreditation process?

Who participates in the site reviews?

Are only undergraduate academic programs being reviewed?

What impressed the WASC reviewers during the last review, and what concerns did they have?

How has UCI responded to the WASC concerns of the last review?

What is WASC?

WASC is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, one of six regional accreditation agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.  WASC accredits public and private schools, colleges and universities in California, Hawaii, Guam, American Somoa, Micronesia, Palau, and Northern Marianas Islands. UCI is accredited through the WASC Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities which accredits more than 160 colleges and universities in the region.

Why seek accreditation? 

Being accredited means that UCI meets or exceeds the established standards of educational quality, capacity, and effectiveness and that it periodically undergoes an external peer review process for improvement purposes. It also assures students, parents, and the general public that UCI is fully qualified to grant degrees and to award academic credits that are accepted by all other accredited institutions.

One of the most important reasons is that being accredited is required for receipt of federal student financial aid (e.g. , Pell Grants or federally guaranteed student loans) and for federally-funded student support programs such as TRIO Programs (e.g. , UCI' Student Academic Advancement Services) and McNair Scholars.

For additional information, click here for "Ten Ways in Which Accreditation Serves Students, Society and the Public Interest," from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Are other UC and CSU campuses accredited?

Yes, all of the UCs and CSUs have earned accreditation through WASC.

What is new about the reaccreditation process?

Since our last review in 2001, WASC has adopted a new 3-stage review process and a new set of standards. Previously, WASC reviews took two to three years and involved one report and one site visit. The new process now takes nearly five years from initial planning to final report and involves one proposal, two reports and two site visits. See the Timeline for additional information on the 3-stage process.

Under the new standards, colleges and universities are reviewed in two primary areas: 1) capacity, and 2) educational effectiveness. Capacity includes faculty qualifications, sufficient technological support, fiscal resources, and so on, and is very similar to standards used in the past. Educational effectiveness is a new standard, and requires the institution to demonstrate that it achieves its educational objectives. In short, each institution must have clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and the degrees it awards and must demonstrate that it achieves these educational objectives. Normally, this standard is met through assessment of student learning outcomes, a process that includes identifying student learning outcomes, assessing student achievement of those outcomes, and using the results for the improvement of both the program and student learning. Please note that the standard for demonstrating educational effectiveness derives from federal regulations (see 34 CFR Part 602.17).

 Who participates in the site reviews?

For each site review, WASC appoints 2-7 peer volunteers who are administrators and faculty members from similar higher education institutions across the country. Each reviewer undergoes extensive training in how to apply the WASC standards and how to conduct a site visit. During the site visit, reviewers meet with campus leaders, faculty, staff and students. Review teams present their reports to the WASC Commission, which makes a final determination regarding the institution's accreditation status. In recent years, WASC has developed detailed rubrics which are used by reviewers to determine the degree to which the institution meets the WASC standards.

Are only undergraduate academic programs being reviewed?

The WASC review process includes both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Although WASC expects all degree programs to be clearly defined in terms of student learning outcomes and expected levels of student achievement, UCI has elected to focus first on learning outcomes for undergraduate programs.  As we develop best practices in assessing undergraduate outcomes and the infrastructure needed to sustain faculty involvement in assessment, we will turn our attention to graduate programs.

What impressed the WASC reviewers during the last review, and what concerns did they have?

The WASC Review Team was especially impressed with UCI's academic program review process, the University's strong commitment to writing across the campus, and the process for outreach, recruitment and enrollment which was recognized by the team as a national model.
The WASC Review Team noted three areas of concern: 1) to sustain the high quality of the UCI's writing programs during a time of enrollment growth, the campus should ensure sufficient numbers of well-trained writing instructors; 2) the campus should develop a plan for growth in undergraduate research and honors programs; and 3) the campus should establish a comprehensive approach for determining the educational effectiveness of its academic programs. Source: Letter from Ralph Wolff, WASC Executive Director, to Chancellor Ralph Cicerone, July 6, 2001.

How has UCI responded to the WASC concerns of the last review?

The School of Humanities and the Department of English added two line-faculty FTE to writing instruction and additional non-line instructional faculty were hired sufficient to meet demand in lower division composition courses.  More upper division writing courses are being offered by academic units across the campus.  The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program has expanded considerably through funds designated to support student work and through grants such as the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). As a result, student participation in funded research has grown substantially. The campus has developed a more systematic and comprehensive approach for determining the overall effectiveness of its academic programs, including establishing the Office of Assessment and Research Studies, a unit within the Division of Undergraduate Education, which is taking the lead on support for assessment activities on campus, funding faculty assessment activities, and providing staff technical support.

Updated: July 25, 2012