Santiago Canyon College is accredited by the
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), which is an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.ACCJC defines accreditation as " ...the process for evaluating and assuring the quality of education used by the American higher education community. It is a uniquely American quality assurance process through which institutions collectively set standards for good practice, conduct peer-based evaluations of institutions on a regular basis, confer accredited status on institutions, and make the results of accreditation review of institutions known to the public. Through accreditation, the higher education community shoulders the responsibility for monitoring the quality of the programs and services of member institutions."
Institutional Self-Evaluation and Commission Action
Beginning in the summer of 2019, Santiago Canyon College began the development of its 2021 Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER) in preparation for an ISER review in the fall 2021 and subsequent accreditation focused site visit in the spring 2022.
In August of 2021, Santiago Canyon College delivered its completed 2021 Institutional Self-Evaluation Report in support of its application for reaffirmation of accreditation to the ACCJC.
In September and October of 2021, the college's appointed Peer Review Team commenced its review of the college's ISER document and all substantiating evidentiary documentation demonstrating that Santiago Canyon College meets or exceeds each of the ACCJC's accreditation standards, accreditation eligibility requirements, and Commission policies. Upon completion of the ISER review process on October 7th, 2021, the appointed Peer Review Team shared with Santiago Canton College any areas of focus, labeled core inquiries, that would serve as the primary topics of inquiry during the focused site visit the following spring. Santiago Canyon College received a single core inquiry and is as follows:
Core Inquiry 1:
The strength of the College's planning and governance structures and processes were evident in the ISER. The team desires to acquire more information to determine if this rises above and beyond the requirements of the Standards.
On March 7th and March 8th of 2022, the ACCJC appointed Peer Review Team conducted a virtual focused site visit to Santiago Canyon College. Upon completion of the focused site visit, the Peer Review Team submitted its completed Peer Review Team Report to the ACCJC for review and action at the Commission's June 1-3, 2022 meeting.
At its June 2022 meeting, the ACCJC acted to Reaffirm Accreditation for Santiago Canyon College for seven years. Additionally, the Commission awarded Santiago Canyon College a commendation, signifying institutional practices for which the commission believes exceed Standards. The Commission recognized the exemplary performance of Santiago Canyon College in the following area:
Standards I.B.7, IV.A.2, IV.A.5 (Commendation 1): The Commission commends the College for strong participatory governance processes and structures, which are based on a regular and systematic cycle of assessment, provided a solid and strong foundation for the College to navigate the challenges successfully and seamlessly for continued delivery of high-quality education and services as well as support for faculty and staff, in the midst of a global pandemic and significant leadership changes.
Santiago Canyon College's next comprehensive review will begin with a Team ISER Review in the fall term of 2028 and will conclude with a Focused Site Visit in the spring term of 2029.
Child Development Center Program Accreditation
The SCC CDC has earned accreditation from the National Association of Young Children - the nation's leading organization of early childhood professionals. NAEYC Accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences.
