Why Accreditation Matters

Every ten years, colleges and universities across the country reaffirm their accreditation through a process that assures the educational community and the general public that the institution continues to meet high standards of quality and effectiveness. In higher education, accreditation is considered a seal of approval by professional peers and indicates that an institution meets the quality standards of the group conferring the accreditation. Accreditation is also a requirement for LMU to participate in programs funded by the United States Department of Education and for LMU students to have access to federal financial aid.

LMU received its most recent regional accreditation from the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in 2015. Over the last two years, LMU’s WSCUC Reaccreditation Steering Committee has been leading work on the reaccreditation self-study, the results of which are captured in an institutional report submitted to WSCUC over the summer. The next phase of the reaccreditation process will occur September 18-20, when LMU will host a site visit from WSCUC.

What LMU Staff Need to Know About the WSCUC Reaccreditation Visit

• WSCUC reviews the entire institution.
  • Three of the four WSUC standards focus on how we:
    • fulfill our mission
    • garner and deploy resources
    • get better at what we do
  • The fourth focuses on how we provide students with an excellent educational experience.
  • These are all areas in which staff contribute in important ways to LMU meeting the WSCUC standards for accreditation.

• You can prepare for the WSCUC visit on September 18-20 and support the reaccreditation process by:
  • Familiarizing yourself with the reaccreditation process and taking a look at LMU’s self-study at LMU’s WSCUC Reaccreditation Website.
  • Thinking about examples of the ways that you support LMU’s mission pillars:
    • The encouragement of learning
    • The education of the whole person
    • The service of faith and the promotion of justice
  • Think about an example of how you directly and indirectly:  
    • Support LMU’s students during their time here
    • Help the institution provide an engaged and enriching experience for all LMU students
    • Prepare LMU students for success after they graduate
    • Work to improve the institution

• WSCUC wants to engage with the entire LMU community.
  • When they are here on campus, WSCUC team members might want to engage with you formally or informally to learn more about LMU.
  • WSCUC will be meeting with groups of faculty, staff, and students to learn more about the institution, evaluate our compliance with the WSCUC standards, and provide us with feedback on ways we improve as an institution.
  • If you are not part of the groups that WSCUC chooses to meet with, there will be faculty, staff, and student open forums on September 18. LMU students, faculty, and staff are invited and encouraged to attend the appropriate open forum:
    • Wednesday, September 18, 2024
      • Faculty Open Forum: 1 – 1:45 p.m.
        • William H. Hannon Library Von der Ahe Family Suite
      • Staff Open Forum: 1 – 1:45 p.m.
        • Featherston Life Sciences Building Auditorium, FEA 120
      • Student Open Forum: 3:30 – 4:15 p.m.
        • Ahmanson Auditorium, University Hall 1000

To learn more about the reaccreditation process or to read the self-study report, visit LMU’s reaccreditation website at: https://www.lmu.edu/academics/provost/wscuc/