Accreditation
Saint Mary's College Accreditation
Since 1948, Saint Mary's College (SMC) has been accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Attaining and maintaining institutional accreditation is considered an imperative for all colleges and universities, as it ensures to the public an institution has been rigorously evaluated and deemed to have met high standards for quality and effectiveness. Accreditation confers a variety of benefits, especially providing students access to federal financial aid resources such as federal loans, grants, and work study.
WSCUC Accreditation Status at Saint Mary’s College
- WSCUC Commission issued its Action Letter on March 6, 2024.
- Reaffirmed for accreditation for a period of six years based on 2023 accreditation visit
- Progress report was submitted on November 1, 2024. | Response from WSCUC
- Follow-up progress report is due on February 1, 2025.
- Special visit in Spring 2026
- Reaffirmation offsite review in Spring 2029
- Accreditation site visit in Fall 2029
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Accreditation
If your have any questions regarding the WSCUC accreditation, standards, or expectations, please send an email to Makiko Imamura (mi2@stmarys-ca.edu), Vice Provost for Institutional and Educational Effectiveness and Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO).
1. What is Accreditation and Re-Affirmation?
The WASC Senior Colleges and University Commission (WSCUC) is the higher education branch of Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), which affirms our quality and effectiveness, and allows us to receive federal funding. Re-affirmation is a 10 year cycle (typically) and we are approaching the end of our current ten year cycle. It is common for schools to have to complete an “interim report” or “have a special visit” between the 10 years. The process in WSCUC is Peer review, completed by a team of visiting personnel from our region, volunteer work by members of the team, with formal liaisons from the Commission Office, and a final review by a Commission panel.
2. What standards and Criteria will WSCUC use to evaluate SMC?
WSCUC used 4 Standards and Criteria for Review (CFRs) based on 2013 Handbook for the most recent reaffirmation.
Standard 1: Defining Institutional Purposes and Ensuring Educational Objectives
Institutional Purposes
Standard 2: Achieving Educational Objectives Through Core Functions
Standard 3: Developing and Applying Resources and Organizational Structures to Ensure Quality and Sustainability
Standard 4: Creating an Organization Committed to Quality Assurance, Institutional Learning, and Improvement
Accreditation History
Since 1948, Saint Mary's College (SMC) has been accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Attaining and maintaining institutional accreditation is considered an imperative for all colleges and universities, as it ensures to the public an institution has been rigorously evaluated and deemed to have met high standards for quality and effectiveness. Accreditation confers a variety of benefits, especially providing students access to federal financial aid resources such as federal loans, grants, and work study.
Most Recent Reaffirmation Timeline
- SMC Institutional Report (self-study) was submitted to WSCUC on January 5, 2023
- Off-site review by WSCUC team took place on March 16, 2023
- Additional documentation submitted to WSCUC team on September 12, 2023
- On-campus site visit by WSCUC team took place on November 7-9, 2023
- WSCUC finalized its Team Report on January 3, 2024
- SMC responded to the Team Report on January 17, 2024
- Panel with the commission took place on February 15, 2024
- WSCUC Commission issued its Action Letter on March 6, 2024
Previous Reaffirmation Timeline
- Saint Mary's College WASC Interim Report (November 2018)
- WASC 2019 Interim Report Action Summary
- 2015-03 WASC Commission Action Letter March 2015
- 2009-2015 Accreditation History
Other SMC Accreditation
Kalmanovitz School of Education (KSOE)
School of Economics and Business Administration (SEBA)
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
The Undergraduate Business majors (excluding Economics) and Graduate Business programs in the School of Economics and Business Administration at Saint Mary's College of California are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Museum of Art
State Authorization
- Saint Mary’s is authorized to offer online distance education on a state-by-state basis. Please see the SMC State Authorization Policies and Procedures page for more information.