Accreditation
Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC), a regional accrediting
body recognized by the Council for Higher Education and the U.S. Department of Education.
LTCC had its accreditation reaffirmed once again in January 2018.
LTCC was originally granted accreditation in January 1979. Accreditation status has successfully been maintained ever since through a regular process of self-evaluation and review by the ACCJC. The University of California, the California State Universities, and other accredited colleges and universities give full credit for equivalent and transferable courses satisfactorily completed at Lake Tahoe Community College.
Read the findings of the evaluation team report from October 9-12, 2017
ACCJC Lake Tahoe Community College Certificate of Accreditation Letter 3/5/2018
- Accreditation Process
ACCJC has established a comprehensive set of standards against which colleges are periodically evaluated to ensure and monitor the quality of education provided by the institution. These standards are divided into four categories: institutional mission and effectiveness; student learning programs and services; resources (human, physical, technology, and financial); and leadership and governance.
Every six years, the college is required to undertake a comprehensive self study as a means of assessing how well and to what degree we meet these accreditation standards. This self study typically takes a year to complete, involves the entire campus, and culminates in a written and published self study report. LTCC last went through this process in 2017. Following completion of the self study, ACCJC sends a team of evaluators (that is, educators from other colleges in the region) to the college for a multi-day visit to evaluate the quality of the college by validating the self study and assessing the degree to which the college meets the accreditation standards. LTCC last hosted a team of evaluators October 9-12, 2017. This step embodies the peer review concept of evaluation, assessment, and quality assurance. The visiting team develops a report based upon their visit and their assessment of the self study. This report along with the team's confidential recommendation is subsequently submitted to ACCJC for consideration and action. LTCC last received this report from the ACCJC in January 2018, granting the college full accreditation status for seven years.
In addition to this six-year re-affirmation of the accreditation process, the college must submit to ACCJC a midterm evaluation report in the third year of the cycle, as well as annual reports. LTCC will next submit a midterm report by October 15, 2021. The next comprehensive review will be in the fall term of 2024.
- ACCJC Complaint Process
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 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.
View the Third-Party Comments webpage for more information.
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC)Telephone: (415) 506-0234
Email the ACCJC
ACCJC Links: Announcements Publications and Documents Purpose and Process Role of Commission