The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) is a California-based nonprofit organisation dedicated to accrediting senior colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees and higher. Established on July 1, 1962, WSCUC originally focused on accrediting institutions in California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Over time, WSCUC has expanded its reach and now accredits institutions across the United States and internationally.

WSCUC is recognised by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) as an official accrediting authority and undergoes periodic reviews for renewal to maintain its accreditation authority. Unlike programme-specific accreditation, WSCUC accredits entire institutions, ensuring comprehensive academic quality, institutional effectiveness, and student success.

The University of the South Pacific (USP) was granted Initial Accreditation by WSCUC in 2018 for a six-year period.

Following a comprehensive institutional review conducted between 2023 and 2025, USP was granted Reaffirmation of Accreditation for a full eight-year term, effective from July 2025 to June 2033.

WSCUC accreditation is a comprehensive, rigorous, and evidence-based evaluation process that assesses all functions and operations of the University to ensure compliance with internationally recognised standards of quality and effectiveness. It critically examines key institutional areas, including governance, academic programmes, student learning outcomes, faculty qualifications, financial sustainability, institutional planning, and continuous improvement processes.

🔗 Read More: What It Means to Be WSCUC Accredited

WSCUC accreditation is structured around forty-one (41) Criteria for Review (CFRs), which are distributed across the four (4) Standards of Accreditation:

📌 Standard One: Defining Institutional Mission and Acting with Integrity

📌 Standard Two: Achieving Educational Objectives and Student Success

📌 Standard Three: Assuring Resources and Organisational Structures

📌 Standard Four: Creating an Institution Committed to Quality Assurance and Improvement

👩🏽‍💼 Ms. Priya Devi, WSCUC Accreditation Project Officer
📩 priya.devi@usp.ac.fj