Western Association of Schools and Colleges - ACCJC

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (WASC ACCJ) is an organization whose purpose is to make certain that these post-secondary schools meet certain standards in order to become accredited. Accreditation is important because it means that the educational system in a learning institution - in this case community and junior colleges--has been thoroughly investigated and evaluated. Therefore, a student can not only be confident that the classes will be valuable, but also that future employers will look at the educational background of a job applicant from an accredited school with credibility. It is also vital that schools are accredited because students who wish to participate in Title IV student financial aid programs are not be able eligible if they are enrolled in a non-accredited institution.

Guidelines for WASC accreditation are all based on what the organization gives as what it calls its "central tenet"; that is, "a school operates with a clear understanding of its purpose." Also considered vital to the accreditation process is the fact that the criteria used for evaluation purposes was developed by a group of educational leaders which included classroom teachers who understand what qualities make for effective schools.

In addition to the specific requirements and standards for education set by the accrediting commission, students in these community and junior colleges are also regularly asked to rate the quality of their instruction and other factors relating to their education. Therefore, the accredited status of these institutions reflects both the commission's findings and the opinions of the students who have actually attended classes at these schools.

Two-year colleges which offer an associate degree in the following areas comprise the western region of this accrediting commission: California and Hawaii, the territories of Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the Pacific Basin, and East Asia. Certain areas of the Pacific and East Asia where American/International schools or colleges are located are also included.

For accreditation purposes, WASC ACCJ looks at four specific areas of each school: Organization for Student Learning, Curriculum and Instruction, Support for Student Personal and Academic Growth, and Resource Management and Development.

Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.

Article References

Western Association of Schools and Colleges
http://www.wascweb.org/

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
http://www.accjc.org/