Golden State Today

UC Davis has successfully renewed its accreditation for another decade, as confirmed by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The commission highlighted the university's "shared purpose, professional pride, and inclusive belonging" in its decision.

Since 1954, UC Davis has maintained full accreditation status with WSCUC. The institution is among 218 colleges accredited by this regional agency, which evaluates public, private, and nonprofit institutions in California, the Pacific region, and overseas through peer-led reviews.

For this year's reaccreditation process, UC Davis chose to focus on two themes under WSCUC’s Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation: a review of the 2020 Initiative and Student Success and Equitable Outcomes. Institutions eligible for thematic pathways must demonstrate strong fiscal health, student achievement indicators, and quality performance. The 2020 Initiative at UC Davis was designed to foster planned growth, enhance financial stability, and increase national and international diversity within the student body.

The evaluation team from WSCUC visited the campus between late October and early November. They conducted open meetings with students, faculty, and staff. Prior to this visit, a steering committee from UC Davis collaborated with various departments to prepare narrative reports along with necessary data exhibits.

Christopher N. Oberg, interim president of WSCUC, praised UC Davis in a letter addressed to Chancellor Gary S. May for its collaborative culture and transparency. He noted improvements in graduation rates and closing achievement gaps while fostering inclusivity through data analytics aimed at enhancing institutional excellence.

Chancellor May expressed satisfaction over the recognition received from peers: “We’re proud that our peers recognized the hard work on the part of our faculty and staff to make continuous improvements in our mission of teaching, research and service." He further emphasized that accreditation serves as both a milestone for achievements over the past decade as well as motivation for ongoing improvement efforts.

Accreditation affirms that UC Davis's academic programs meet high standards of quality. It also provides benefits such as access to federal financial aid resources. University accreditors rely on experts across higher education fields who use advanced tools to evaluate institutional performance.