Overview

UC Santa Barbara is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). 

Learn more about Reaffirmation of Accreditation:

Learn more about UC Santa Barbara’s Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation Study, “Designing for Access, Designing for Success” and the study’s seven objectives:

  1. Create a teaching and learning equity strategic plan to prioritize and guide investments.  
  2.  Revise Program Learning Outcomes and Program Review assessment processes to include data from this study.  
  3. Implement changes to support undergraduate equity in course sequences, practices, and policies.
  4. Improve on-time and extended-time graduation to achieve UCSB 2030. 
    •  Provide enhanced academic mentorship. 
    •  Develop a first year bridge program focusing on quantitative literacy.
    • Improve communication about majors and disciplines.
    • Continue to explore admissions and enrollment practices. 
  5. Continue to empower and support faculty to address student achievement disparities via course revisions.  
  6. Build on processes for faculty to demonstrate teaching engagement.  
  7. Enhance “world readiness”.  

Learn more about the 2023 Reaffirmation of Accreditation Process and Procedure

Thematic Pathway for Review (TPR)

TPR is a pilot pathway, available by application, that enables institutions to focus accreditation activities on specific themes. Additionally, campuses approved for TPR must demonstrate compliance with all WASC standards. UC Santa Barbara was approved for the TPR pathway in December 2021.

WASC Senior College and University Commission

The WSCUC website provides extensive information about WASC’s core commitments and standards, commitment to equity, initiatives, and more.

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Accreditation Liaison Officer

The University of California, Santa Barbara is committed to honest and open communication with the Western Association Accrediting Commission and to informing the Commission promptly of any matter that could materially affect the accreditation status of the institution. In furtherance of this commitment, the university has appointed an Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO).

Learn more