WSCUC grants Stanford a 10-year accreditation

Commending the university for “cultivating a culture of dedication among faculty, staff, students, and the board,” the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) has granted Stanford a 10-year accreditation with no required issues for follow up in the interim.

“This is an exceptional outcome,” said Provost Persis Drell. “I want to congratulate the accreditation steering committee members and thank them for their tremendous efforts. I also want to recognize the many faculty and staff members who participated in the accreditation process and who regularly conduct assessments of our programs. This work is so important to assuring the high quality of a Stanford education and a thriving learning environment.”

Read the letter from WSCUC.

The accreditation process

Stanford’s accreditation efforts were directed by a steering committee, led by Stephanie Kalfayan, vice provost for academic affairs and the university’s accreditation liaison officer.

This committee was supported by an advisory committee of faculty and staff from across the university.

After more than a year of investigation, document gathering, and data analysis, Stanford submitted its extensive 65-page self-study report in January 2023. This was followed by a visit from the WASC accreditation team in March 2023 and a hearing by the commission last month.

The WSCUC accreditation team report included this observation, “On all counts, Stanford is an outstanding place of discovery, creativity, and innovation where bright curious students thrive in rigorous academic programs. This vibrant intellectual community has been intentionally created and continuously enhanced through unceasing investment in research and thoughtful educational improvement initiatives.”

For this accreditation cycle, Stanford participated in the “Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation,” a new process for review that allows institutions to focus on selected areas for investigation. For the self-study, Stanford focused on two themes: Advancing Undergraduate Education and Supporting Our Community for Success.

WSCUC praised Stanford for “submitting an institutional report that tackled two important issues in higher education: how to guide students towards a more intentional approach to their undergraduate experiences and beyond in leading lives of purpose, and how to develop a more inclusive environment for all members of the Stanford community.”

All documents relating to the 2023 accreditation process can be found here.

The importance of accreditation

Accreditation ensures that universities and colleges meet certain academic standards. Significantly, an institution must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency in order for students to be eligible to receive federal financial aid.

One benefit of the accreditation process for Stanford is that it offers the university the opportunity to highlight its ongoing work to improve its educational offerings. The regular cycle of accreditation visits and self-studies also provides the Stanford community a structure and timeline to conduct regular assessments of its programs.

Some of Stanford’s programs and schools are accredited by other national and international associations. For example, the Graduate School of Business is accredited by AACSB International; Stanford Law School is accredited by the American Bar Association; and Stanford Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and nine other associations.

About WSCUC

WSCUC is one of seven accrediting commissions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and it accredits more than 200 institutions. Stanford was last reviewed in 2013. View all documents related to the 2023 accreditation process. Documents from that process can be found here.

For more information on Stanford’s accreditation visit the website.