WSCUC Accreditation

Occidental College completed the process of successful reaffirmation of accreditation with our institutional accrediting agency, WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in 2022.

WSCUC Accreditation Cycle: Reaffirmation 2022 - 2030

Occidental College was first accredited by WSCUC in 1949, and our most recent reaffirmation cycle was 2012 to 2022. In 2021, Occidental began preparations for the 2022 institutional report and site visit. The college submitted a Report (TPR) that focused on its unique strengths in providing an urban liberal arts education and co-curricular experiences to students. The WSCUC peer review team conducted its site visit on March 30–April 1, 2022. On July 11, 2022, WSCUC reaffirmed Occidental for an eight year term. The and are publicly available on the WSCUC site to read/download. Occidental received the following commendations:

A dedicated faculty and staff that embrace and support the four cornerstones of Occidental’s mission: excellence, equity, community, and service.
The College’s Culture of Care philosophy that supports an individualized approach to student success and wellness.
The work of the CCBL in moving toward an institution-wide structure for community-based engagement.
The building of meaningful and long-term reciprocal relationships with a wide array of community partners to effect community-based learning for students.

Special Visit: Spring 2026

A special visit will take place March 4-6, 2026. The planning, preparation, and report writing has been led by the Accreditation & Assessment Committee. Under their guidance and with support and collaboration from Senior Leadership, Occidental has implemented an institution-wide approach to addressing four areas noted by the WSCUC Commision. Extensive planning, resourcing, collaboration, and assessment across the college is underway to support the improvement of these four interdependent areas.

Articulation of strategic planning priorities and alignment of planning objectives with resources and defining future directions
Implementation of an institution-wide structure to assess student learning
Dedication of resources to increase student success and inclusive excellence
Implementation of the Urban Liberal Arts Experience

Component 1: Institutional Context and Major Changes Since the Last WSCUC Review

A. Occidental College History & Mission

1. WASC Accreditation
2. Occidental Students, Faculty, and Academic Programs
3. Providing Access
4. Small but Mighty
5. Core Constituencies: Shared Governance Model
6. Recent Changes

B. Requirements of the Commission Action Letter

Component 2: Report Preparation

Component 3: Response to Previous Commission Actions

A. Connecting Assessment to Strategic Planning and Resource Allocation

1. Functional Areas Assessment
2. Information Sharing
3. Budget Planning Processes

Issue 1. Articulate strategic planning priorities and align planning objectives with resources and the future direction of the institution.

A. Integrated Strategic Plan: The Occidental Promise

1. Plan and Promise Level Assessment Plan
2. Strategy & Initiative Level Assessment: One-Time Operational Plans
3. Strategic Planning

Issue 2. Implement an institution-wide structure to assess student learning.

A. Academic Assessment: Program Learning Outcomes

1. Assessment Foundations
2. Direct Assessment of Student Work
3. Annual Reporting Process for Academic Programs

B. Academic Assessment: College-wide Learning Goals & The Core Program

1. Assessment of the Core Program

C. Assessment of Co-curricular and Non-Academic Functional Areas

D. Assessment Technology

Issue 3. Increase capacity in high priority areas to support student success and inclusive excellence.

A. Hiring Plan and Succession Planning

1. Faculty Hiring Plan – Expansion of Tenured, Tenure-Track Faculty (T3)

B. Staff Workload, Morale, Retention

1. Employee Engagement Survey
2. Digitizing Workflows

C. Faculty Workload, Morale, Retention

D. Enhancing Student Success Programs Post-Pandemic

1. Mental Health Services
      2. Health Promotion Programming
      3. Project SAFE
      4. Intercultural Community Center
      5. Disability Services
6. Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement (SLICE)

E. Student Retention

1. Student Retention Initiatives
      2. Retention Initiatives Embedded in First-Year Seminar Courses
      3. Improving Student Athlete Retention
      4. Improving Campus Facilities & Community Spaces

Issue 4. Continue to elevate community-based learning/community engagement by taking full ownership of implementation of the Urban Liberal Arts Experience (the institution's thematic pathway for reaffirmation theme).

A. Urban Liberal Arts Experience (ULAE) Thematic Pathway
B. College-Wide Learning Goal 6: Experiential Learning
C. Center for Community Based Learning (CCBL)

Component 4: Self-Assessment, Change, Future Direction

Lex Sanderson, Director of Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness, ALO

Andrew Udit, Professor of Chemistry, Co-chair of Biochemistry, Faculty Director for Academic Assessment

Kathryn Leonard, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College

Jackie Cameron, Director of Institutional Research

Lindsay Nyquist, Chief of Staff

Vivian Garay Santiago, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Marcus Rodriguez, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of SLICE

Maricela Martinez, Vice President of Enrollment

Carolyn Brighouse, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

Brandon Lehr, Associate Dean for Curriculum

Lizzy Denny, Director of Project SAFE and Survivor Advocate

Vanessa Gonzalez Wright, Director of Intercultural Community Center

Laura Fettig, Health Promotion Specialist

Alejandro Aguirre, Director of Counseling Services for Emmons Wellness Center

Michelle Obergfoll, Director of Disability Services & Student Support

Mel Gamba, Associate Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer

John McCormack, Professor, Biology, Director and Curator of the Moore Laboratory of Zoology

Dick Anderson, Publications Editor

Lex Sanderson, Director of Accreditation & Institutional Assessment, Accreditation Liaison Officer

Andrew Udit, Professor & Department Chair of Biochemistry, Faculty Director of Assessment

Jackie Cameron, Director of Institutional Research

Kristi Allen, AVP of Institutional Planning

Kathryn Leonard, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College; Professor of Computer Science

Lindsay Nyquist, Chief of Staff

Sharla Fett, Professor of American History

Develop and support sustainable and continuous structure for institution-wide assessment, including, learning outcomes and objectives for academic programs, core programs, co-curricular areas, functional areas and departments with alignment to the institutional goals and college wide learning goals.
Develop, guide, and maintain institutional wide assessment of the Urban Liberal Arts Experience and implementation of the Integrated Strategic Plan.
Work to prioritize and socialize the importance of accreditation beyond an external need, but a tool for internal continuous improvements
Assist ALO organizing preparation of WSCUC reports and visits and incorporate other stakeholders into the process.
Ensure the college meets WSCUC standards. When necessary, drive manageable institutional change to ensure the college continues to meet standards and related compliance issues.

Contributors

Brigette Young, Associate Director of Alumni & Parent Engagement

Dana Brandsey, Director of Alumni & Parent Engagement

Celestina Castillo, Director, Center for Community Engagement

Jamila Chambers, Executive Director of Career Center

Jillian Jacobs-Edmondson, Assistant Director, Career Education & Advising

PJ Lutz, Assistant Director, Employer Engagement and Recruiting

Ed Johnson, Director of Academic Advising Coordinator, Core Program, Affiliated Faculty in Music History

Mikaeala Dela Cruz, Oxy Student

Vanessa Gonzalez Wright, Director Intercultural Community Center

Sarah Pickle, College Librarian

Brian Chambers, Sr. Director of Collections, Systems and Services

Meldia Yesayan, Director, Oxy Arts

Frankie Fleming, Manager of Education and Community Engagement, Oxy Arts

Marcus Rodriguez, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement

Martha Matsuoka, Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy; Executive Director, Urban & Environmental Policy Institute

Taina Morales, Assistant Director, Student and Community Engagement

Andrew Udit, Professor & Department Chair of Biochemistry, Faculty Director of Assessment

Michael Shelton, Professor, Spanish and French Studies

Carmel Levitan, Professor, Cognitive Science

Lex Sanderson, Director of Accreditation & Institutional Assessment, Accreditation Liaison Officer

Evelyn Chan, Nurse Practitioner, Director of Medical Services

Alejandro Aguirre, LMFT, Director of Counseling Services

Laura Fettig, MSW, Health Promotion Specialist

Lizzy Denny, Project SAFE Director and Survivor Advocate

Michelle Obergfoll, Director of Disability Services & Student Support

Sabrina Willison, Associate Director, Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement: Orientation and Student Development

Clair Morrissey, Professor, Philosophy

Devon Sakamoto, Assistant Dean of Students for Emmons Wellness

Tom Stritikus, President of the College

Lindsay Nyquist, Chief of Staff

Suzy LaCroix, Vice President of Institutional Advancement

Amos Himmelstein, Vice President for Finance, Planning and Operations, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer

Vivian Garay Santiago, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Kathryn Leonard, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College; Professor of Computer Science

Laura Fettig, MSW, Health Promotion Specialist

Andrew Guerrero, JEID Education Specialist

Oswaldo Lopez Jr., Director, Upward Bound

Taina Morales, Assistant Director, Student and Community Engagement

Shanda Ness, Director of Athletics

Isaiah J. Thomas, Ed.D., Assistant Dean of Students; Director of Residential Education, Housing Services and Student Conduct

Celestina Castillo, Director, Center for Community Engagement

David Kasunic, Director of the John Branca Institute for Music; Associate Professor, Music

Brandon Lehr, Interim Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs; Associate Professor, Economics

Miao “Kat” Wang, Director, Pre-Health Advising

David Caldwell, Director of Facilities Management

Anaid Garcia, Executive Assistant to the VP & COO and General Counsel

Erik Russell, Assistant Vice President, Hospitality and Auxiliary Services

David Caldwell, Director of Facilities Management

Israel Colon, Operations Supervisor

Ron Siliezar, HRIS Project Leader

Special Visit Report Tour - Fall 2025

In advance of the submission to WSCUC, the college circulated the special visit institutional report among the campus community for feedback, additional contributions, edit suggestions, and to celebrate all of our accomplishments.

Accreditation and Assessment Committee Review: August 18 - 22, 2025

Senior Leadership Team Review: September 1 - 12, 2025

Accreditation and Assessment Committee 2nd Review: September 22 - 26, 2025

Occidental Faculty Review: October 13 - 24, 2025

Occidental Staff Review: October 13 - 24, 2025

Associated Students of Occidental College, Executive Committee Review: November 3 - 18, 2025

Occidental Board of Trustees Review: November 3 - 18, 2025

Accreditation Liaison Officer Final Review: November 17 - 28, 2025

President Tom Stritikus Review: December 1 -5, 2025

Submission Date: December 15, 2025

WSCUC Accreditation