CVCU Accreditation
Accreditation is a voluntary process that schools and universities ascribe to for added governance and accountability. CVCU believes that having the delegated governance of a national accrediting body not only helps an academic institution maintain its intended academic integrity but that it also provides a national benchmarking standard that ensures students are receiving a level of educational excellence and career preparation that is comparable to that of other nationally recognized institutions.
New academic institutions must undergo a period of institutional candidacy before achieving full accreditation status, which can take between three and eight years depending on the accrediting agency. During that time, the accrediting agency provides virtual support and conducts leadership and curricular assessments to determine the institution's viability for candidacy.
In 2020, prior to the university’s launch, CVCU began working with TRACS, The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS.org), founded in 1979. From the TRACS website, the organization self-descries as “voluntary, non-profit, self-governing organization to promote the welfare, interests, and development of postsecondary institutions whose mission is characterized by a distinctly Christian purpose, as defined in the agency’s Foundational Standards. TRACS is recognized by both the United States Department of Education (ED) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as an institutional accrediting agency for Christian post-secondary institutions, colleges, universities, and seminaries.
TRACS is a member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE). INQAAHE is a world-wide association of over 200 organizations active in the theory and practice of quality assurance in higher education. TRACS is also a member of the American Council on Education (ACE). ACE has over 1,700 organizations that collectively promote, protect, and advocate for students, faculty, and administrators in higher education. ACE is the most visible and influential higher education association in the nation and is at the center of federal policy debates concerning issues related to higher education legislation across the country.”
CVCU is currently entering its fifth year of this pre-candidacy journey of institutional accreditation. This process has included intensive self-study, in-person coaching sessions, workshops, and phone and email conversations with TRACS leadership over the course of five years.
TRACS assessments are built on IERs, Institutional Eligibility Requirements, which include the following areas of institutional organization and development. The documentation for each of the standards represents hundreds of hours of study, reflection, and institutional assessment. All of these documents have been submitted to the accrediting agency in order to meet the following TRACS Expectations for Accreditation:
1. Faith Statement
2. Mission and Name
3. Institutional Objectives
4. Institutional Integrity
5. Operational Authority
6. Organizational Structure
7. Publications and Policies
8. Educational Programs
9. Faculty
10. Student Services
11. Financial Operations
12. Institutional Assessment
13. Strategic Planning
14. Library and Learning Resources
15. Facilities and Equipment
16. Health and Security
17. Federal Requirements
CVCU is committed to providing the highest level of academic rigor and career readiness and will continue to post updates on accreditation candidacy status as applicable. We are currently awaiting an approval status from the Bureau of Private and Postsecondary Education, a governmental body that regulates private schools in the State of California.