Accreditation: Home

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is 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 or member institutions. Agencies that develop and apply standards are called accrediting commissions. Accrediting commissions were created by a collective group that wished to engage in the quality review and assurance process, and those institutions were and are referred to as the member institutions of a commission.

Accredited Status

Chaffey College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, 10 Commercial Blvd., Suite 204, Novato, CA 94949, (415) 506-0234, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Additional information about accreditation, including the filing of complaints against member institutions, can be found at: www.accjc.org. Students and members of the public who desire to file a formal complaint related to noncompliance with accreditation standards (https://www.accjc.org/complaint-policy) may contact the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) directly. The commission can be contacted at: Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges; Western Association of Schools and Colleges; 10 Commercial Boulevard, Suite 204; Novato, CA 94949; Telephone: (415) 506-0234; Fax: (415) 506-0238.

ACCJC Complaint Process

Complaints Against Member Institutions
Students and members of the public who desire to file a formal complaint to the Commission about one of its member institutions should become familiar with the requirements for doing so prior to contacting the Commission.  Read more...

Complaints Against the Commission
Individuals who wish to file a formal complaint to the Commission about the ACCJC should become familiar with the requirements for doing so prior to contacting the Commission.  Read more...

Third Party Comments
Individuals who wish to make comments on the institutions that are undergoing review in the current semester and that are being considered by the Commission at its next meeting, should use the Third Party Comments Form and be sure to include their name, address, phone number, and email address.  Read more...

Third-party Comment

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

Individuals who wish to make comments on the institutions that are undergoing review in the current semester and that are being considered by the Commission at its next meeting, should use the Third Party Comment Form and be sure to include their name, address, phone number, and email address. The comments must be received five weeks before the scheduled Commission meeting.

For more information and to access the Third Party Comment Form click here.

Accredited programs

Chaffey College offers career technical programs in the Schools of Business and Applied Technology and Health Sciences that undergo external evaluation and are accredited by industry-specific agencies. Each program is noted below, along with the associated accrediting body’s name and contact information. Click here for a list of those programs.