Statement of Accreditation
Welcome to Cuyamaca College's Accreditation website. Cuyamaca College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, 331 J Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95814, (415) 506-0234, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Additional information about accreditation, including the filing of complaints against member institutions, can be found at: www.accjc.org
ACCJC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) as a reliable authority regarding the quality of education offered by the institutions it accredits in keeping with the Higher Education Act of 1965. ACCJC is also recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), which has established criteria that define a quality review system for accrediting agencies. ACCJC accredits institutions in the United States, its territories and affiliates, with a primary mission of granting associate degrees; institutions accredited by ACCJC may also award certificates and other credentials, including bachelor’s degrees, if those credentials are within the institution’s mission and authorized by their governmental authorities. ACCJC may also accredit non-domestic institutions with a primary mission of granting associate degrees.
Accreditation is a voluntary system of self-regulation and peer review based on standards of good practice. It is designed to assure students and the surrounding community that the college meets or exceeds these standards which reflect minimum conditions of quality and service for accredited institutions. These standards of good practice are developed by professional peers (faculty, staff, administrators, and members of the public), and adopted by WASC/ACCJC.
While Cuyamaca College uses the ACCJC Accreditation Standards to guide institutional decisions and program design on a daily basis, every seven years it undergoes a comprehensive self-evaluation of all programs and services measuring itself against the Accreditation Standards. Following the self-evaluation, the Accrediting Commission assigns a team of peer evaluators to conduct a site visit to the college, where documentary evidence; interviews of faculty, staff, and students; and observation of instruction and support service programs is undertaken. The team's task is to validate the college's self-evaluation report and to develop a comprehensive evaluation report and recommendation to the Accrediting Commission.
This website is designed to facilitate the dissemination of ACCJC communications with the college as well as serve as a repository for the college's current and historical accreditation reports. The site also links to all of WASC's education and training materials. Cuyamaca College is committed to quality and to continuous improvement, and embraces the accreditation process as an essential part of our ongoing efforts for improvement and for supporting student success. I welcome your suggestions.
For questions related to college accreditation reaffirmation efforts, please contact Bri Hays, Accreditation Liaison Officer at brianna.hays@gcccd.edu.
Accreditation Reports and ACCJC Action Letters
August 30 2024 ACCJC Distance Education Substantive Change Approval Letter
August 2024 Distance Education Substantive Change Request Form
2024 ACCJC Action Letter (Midterm Report)
2019 Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER)