Accreditation

Accreditation

What is Accreditation?

Sierra College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), 428 J Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814.

The ACCJC is one of seven regional accrediting commissions, and is authorized to operate by the U.S. Department of Education through the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. ACCJC accredits associate degree-granting institutions in the Western region of the United States. Accreditation is a voluntary system of self-regulation developed to evaluate overall educational quality and institutional effectiveness (The Commission’s complete Purpose Statement is available in Article I, section 2 of its Bylaws).

Our Specialized Accreditations

In addition to our ACCJC Accreditation, Sierra College has received specialized accreditation from the following accreditors: 

The ACCJC accreditation process provides assurance to the public that the accredited member colleges meet the Standards; the education earned at the institutions is of value to the student who earned it; and employers, trade or profession-related licensing agencies, and other colleges and universities can accept a student’s credential as legitimate.

Accreditation isn’t a one-day process. It’s an everyday effort where we work together to meet standards and serve our community.

Willy Duncan, Sierra College Superintendent/President

Accreditation Process at Sierra College

Every seven years Sierra College undergoes review and reaffirmation of our accreditation by the Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). Accreditation is a quality assurance process that gives the college the opportunity to engage in institution-wide dialogue and self-evaluation activities in order to gain a comprehensive perspective of the state of the institution. The scope of accreditation is to promote quality student learning and continuous quality improvement to ensure high quality student learning. Accreditation status is a critical component that certifies and safeguards high quality student learning programs and services.

Accreditation allows us to provide federal financial aid to our students, receive federal funding, grant students recognized degrees, and articulate our courses with other colleges and universities.

For evidence, please contact the Office of Planning, Research and Resource Development.

How to Submit Third-Party Comments to the ACCJC

A third-party comment may be submitted to the Commission at any time as it relates to the compliance of a member institution with Eligibility Requirements, Accreditation Standards, or Commission policies.

Such comments must be submitted in writing, signed, and accompanied by the affiliation, return address and telephone number of the correspondent.

Commission staff will review all third-party comments to assess their applicability to Eligibility Requirements, Accreditation Standards, or Commission policies. Institutions will be provided with an opportunity to review applicable third-party comments.

Any member of the college community or public may submit a third-party comment by completing the Commission’s third-party online form, available via ACCJC’s website.

In order to ensure evaluation of applicable third-party comments by the peer review team, third-party comments should be received by the Commission staff no later than five weeks before the peer review team’s focused site visit.

Previous Results and Reports