San Bernardino Valley College has received the highest level of accreditation an institution can receive by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior College (ACCJC). Based on its results of a virtual inspection and evaluation, the ACCJC has reaffirmed SBVC’s accreditation for seven years, with no additional follow-up needed. 

This October, SBVC completed a series of virtual accreditation visits, a process that only happens every seven years. This comprehensive review by the ACCJC evaluates the campus to ensure it is providing exceptional education, promoting effectiveness, and continuously improving its processes. The ACCJC accreditation process provides assurance to the public that the accredited member colleges meet its set of standards.  

The ACCJC visiting team expressed “appreciation for the diligent work and thoughtful reflection that San Bernardino Valley College undertook to prepare for this evaluation.” SBVC, which has been reaffirmed for the next seven years, received special praise from the accrediting commission for leadership in serving the needs of students in three specific areas. The first was its Valley 360 Resource Center, which provides food or other resources to registered students in need. Secondly was its Generation Go! program, which provides career services and mentoring to youth ages 16 to 24. Lastly was its Middle College High School partnership, which provides a way for students to earn college credit while still in high school.

“This is an outstanding accomplishment on the part of everyone who has worked so diligently to ensure that our first-ever virtual accreditation evaluation went smoothly and that SBVC’s exceptional progress since the last visit was showcased appropriately,” said Diana Z. Rodriguez, President of San Bernardino Valley College. “This commendation is the result of years of hard work and dedication to make SBVC the amazing place of learning and student success that it is.”

SBVC began preparing for this process back in fall of 2018, finalizing its Accreditation Standard chairs and membership committee composed of administration, faculty, classified staff, and students. Over the course of the 2018-2019 academic year, the committee visited collegial consultation committees, sought community input in numerous forums, and reviewed its campus standards. The subsequent research and feedback was used to create an Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER), a publication detailing how SBVC meets the various accreditation standards and requirements.   

The Accreditation Site Team reviewed this document before joining the campus virtually for a series of open forums, divisional interviews, and departmental meetings. The online discussions allowed SBVC to highlight program successes, showcase campus accomplishments, and demonstrate how its processes and operations meets accreditation standards. Due to the global pandemic and necessary campus closure, the team of 10 evaluators observed campus activities and procedures through online platforms and virtual meetings. The ACCJC visiting team expressed “appreciation for the diligent work and thoughtful reflection that San Bernardino Valley College undertook to prepare for this evaluation.”

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC) accredits community colleges and other associate degree granting institutions in the Western region of the U.S. The ACCJC is one of seven regional accrediting commissions.   

Accreditation is a voluntary system of self-regulation developed to evaluate overall educational quality and institutional effectiveness. The ACCJC accreditation process provides assurance to the public that the accredited member colleges meet its 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.