Accreditation

Accreditation

 

Why is it important for a community college to be accredited?

Accreditation Benefits: Accredited status from an institutional accreditor allows institutions to:

  • Qualify for federal grants and contracts
  • Distribute federal financial aid to students
  • Facilitate easier transfer of students' credits to other accredited institutions

ACCJC Accreditation Standards: The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) focuses on continuous quality improvement in student learning and achievement. These standards provide a framework for best practices that support:

  • The institution’s mission
  • Student success
  • Academic quality
  • Institutional integrity
  • Excellence

Transparency and Outcomes: ACCJC promotes transparency by sharing institutional outcomes and social mobility metrics on public dashboards and websites. This helps refine campus efforts and increase transparency for students, parents, and the public.

Voluntary System: Accreditation is a voluntary system of self-regulation and peer review based on standards of good practice. It assures students and the community that the college meets or exceeds these standards, which reflect minimum conditions of quality and service.

Peer Review Process: The peer review process is integral to accreditation, providing quality improvement through inquiry and feedback from peers. This ensures institutions meet established standards and offer trustworthy degrees, certificates, and credits.

Recognition: ACCJC accreditation, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, signifies that Grossmont College meets quality standards necessary for graduate competence and public funding. Courses are fully accepted on transfer by the University of California, California State University, and private four-year colleges and universities.

Recent Accreditation: As of 2020, Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges' accreditations were reaffirmed by the ACCJC/WASC.

To learn more about the ACCJC and what it does, visit https://accjc.org/