American Jewish University Receives 8-year Reaffirmation of Accreditation from WASC Senior College and University Commission

LOS ANGELES— American Jewish University (AJU) announced today that the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) has reaffirmed its accreditation for a period of eight years. This decision follows a comprehensive institutional report, review process, and site visit.

In its final summation, the WSCUC Commission praised AJU’s learning outcomes, rooted in Judaic principles, and acknowledged the institution’s dedicated Board of Directors for their commitment to AJU’s mission and future direction. The WSCUC also commended AJU's robust advancement team, systems, and processes that effectively cultivate donor and philanthropic efforts. "AJU's senior leadership team has shepherded the institution through critical transition periods, and the academic deans, faculty, and staff have reimagined academic programs to reduce barriers related to access, cost, and time to degree," stated the WSCUC Evaluating Team Report of AJU.

AJU’s institutional report to WSCUC focused on its formal academic programs, notably its two schools with degree programs: the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, which offers an in-person MA in Rabbinic Studies and ordains Conservative Rabbis; and the Masor School for Jewish Education and Leadership, which has online early childhood educational programming at the BA, MA, and EdD degrees and certificate levels. AJU’s newest program with formal academic credit, the Jewish Learning Experience (JLE), delivering undergraduate-level college credit courses to high school students in Jewish Studies, was also included in the review.

Further highlights included AJU’s community programming: Open Learning and the Whizin Center for Continuing Education; the Sigi Ziering Institute of Holocaust Studies; the Maas Center and its signature Miller Introduction to Judaism program; Camp Alonim; and the Ziering-Brandeis Camp Institute.

"American Jewish University is committed to fostering lifelong learning and cultural enrichment while fostering a sense of Jewish identity,” said Dr. Jeffrey Herbst, president of American Jewish University. "The WSCUC notice is not just a validation of our current practices but an affirmation of our future."

American Jewish University has been accredited by the WSCUC since 1961. The reaffirmation for accreditation process and analysis involved an in-depth examination of AJU's strategic planning, quality assurance, faculty involvement, financial sustainability, and mission integrity. Achieving WSCUC institutional accreditation assures that AJU has met high standards of quality, effectiveness, and educational excellence.

“During this transformational period, American Jewish University has remained committed to providing high-quality for-credit classes, degrees, and community programming,” added Dr. Robbie Totten, American Jewish University’s Chief Academic Officer. “This milestone affirms these efforts and reflects our unwavering loyalty to our university’s mission of advancing and elevating Jewish journeys.”

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ABOUT AJU: American Jewish University (AJU) is a thriving center of Jewish resources and talent that serves the Jewish community of the twenty-first century. A portal for Jewish belonging, AJU equips students, faculty, campers, and learners of all ages with the tools to create the ideas, build the structures, and develop the programs to advance Jewish wisdom and elevate Jewish living. For more information, visit www.aju.edu.