What is Institutional Accreditation?
Accreditation is a voluntary, independent review of educational programs to determine that the education provided is of uniform and sound quality. Being awarded accreditation ensures that an institution has been evaluated and that it met set standards of quality determined by the accrediting organization granting the accreditation. A college's accreditation is maintained by continued adherence to the set criteria. Courses offered at an accredited institution generally are transferable to other institutions and qualify for financial aid.
American River College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Post-secondary Accreditation and the US Department of Education.
Upcoming Review
ARC will undergo a comprehensive review for reaffirmation of accreditation in 2022. The review will follow a formative/summative model and will take place in two portions. First, there will be a review of the Institutional Self Evaluation Report (ISER) that the college is preparing to show how it meets the expectations for accreditation. Following this initial review, the College will receive a set of Core Inquiries that the review team would like to know more about. Second there will be a focused site visit for the review team to gather additional information via interviews, data requests, and meetings to discuss the Core Inquiries. The Team ISER Review and Focused Site visit will inform the review team’s report. This will be reviewed by the commission to direct the decision on the college’s reaffirmation. ARC’s review will take place during the following timeframes:
ISER Review Team: View Biographies
Team ISER Review: February 23, 2022
Focused Site Visit: Week of October 10, 2022
Core Inquiry Details:
- Team ISER Review will culminate in the development of Core Inquiries which highlight areas, Standards, and/or Policies that require clarification or expansion, additional information requests, and/or observation and interview requests for the Focused Site Visit.
- Core Inquiries will describe the areas of emphasis for the Focused Site Visit to determine whether Accreditation Standards and Policies are met and to further explore areas of commendation or recommendation.
- Core Inquiries will serve as a planning tool for the College in preparation for the Focused Site Visit. In the course of the Focused Site Visit, if new or emerging issues arise out of the discussions on Core Inquiries, the Team Chair will consult with the ACCJC Staff Liaison.
ACCJC Contact Information
- Address: 331 J Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95814
- Phone: (415) 506-0234
- Email: accjc@accjc.org
- See a list of upcoming ACCJC events and meetings.
- Any member of the college community or public may submit a third-party comment by completing the Commission’s online third-party comment form . A third-party comment assists the Commission as it considers applications for candidacy, accreditation, or reaffirmation of accreditation.
Additionally Accredited Programs
The following American River College programs are accredited by other external agencies.
- The Automotive Technology Program is accredited by the National Automotive Technical Education Foundation (NATEF).
- The Dietary Manager (Dietary Service Supervision) option is accredited by the California State Department of Public Health.
- The Fire Technology Program is accredited by the California State Fire Marshal's Office.
- The Funeral Service Education Program is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE).
- Address: 992 Mantua Pike, Suite 108, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097
- Phone: (816) 233-3747
- Email: exdir@abfse.org
- The five occupational Gerontology degrees are accredited by the Accreditation for Gerontology Education Council. The five Gerontology certificates of achievement are recognized as Programs of Merit by the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE), which is the academic arm of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA).
- The Human Services option, Chemical Dependency Studies, is accredited by the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals.
- The Legal Studies Program is accredited by the American Bar Association.
- The AS Nursing Program is accredited by the California State Board of Registered Nursing.
- The Paramedic Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).
- Address: 361 Park Street, Clearwater, FL 33756
- Phone: (727) 210-2350
- The Respiratory Care Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).
- Address: 1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, TX 76021
- Phone: (817) 283-2835
American River College
Certificate of Accreditation
March 5th, 2018
American River College
Certificate of Accreditation Letter
March 5th, 2018