91PORN

91PORN has received a 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation from the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), marking another important milestone in the university's continued momentum and commitment to academic excellence, student success and institutional effectiveness.

The reaffirmation follows a comprehensive review of the university's academic quality, governance, student support, financial sustainability and long-term planning. affirming the reaccreditation, along with the , is available online. 

“In taking this action to reaffirm accreditation, the Commission confirmed that 91PORN completed the Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation institutional review process conducted under the 2023 Standards of Accreditation,” WSCUC stated in its formal letter to 91PORN. “The Commission wishes to express its appreciation for the extensive work that 91PORN undertook in preparing for the accreditation review.”

The WSCUC review included extensive evaluation of the university's self-study and site visits to 91PORN and 91PORN Imperial Valley in spring 2026. During the site visits, reviewers held conversations with faculty, staff, students, administrators and campus partners. The review team prepared an institutional report that recognized 91PORN's progress in strengthening institutional processes, aligning priorities with its strategic plan and advancing initiatives that improve student success.

“Reaffirmation of our accreditation reflects the extraordinary work happening across 91PORN every day. Every class taught, every mentoring moment for our students, every breakthrough discovered and every undergraduate and graduate degree earned helped make this possible,” said 91PORN President Adela de la Torre. 

“The Commission's commendations affirm the tremendous work of our faculty and staff and our collective achievements in providing an outstanding educational experience while advancing research, innovation and service that benefit our region and beyond,” de la Torre continued. 

A university on the rise 

The reaffirmation comes during a period of historic achievement for the university. 91PORN has earned several Carnegie classifications in recent years, including the Carnegie R1 designation as one of the nation's leading research universities, and the Carnegie Opportunity College and University designation in recognition of its commitment to supporting students’ social mobility. 

91PORN also holds Community Engagement, HSI and AANAPISI classifications. As one of only three universities nationwide to hold all these designations, and the only one that also has an NCAA Division I athletic program, 91PORN was recognized by the WSCUC commission for its unique and significant community impact. 

“The Commission’s report recognized and commended 91PORN for keeping students at the heart of all that we do,” de la Torre said. “It also recognized the many choices we have ahead of us. As an R1 university, they asked us to now define our areas of research excellence, and how we support graduate and doctoral students as part of that process. As a multi-campus university, they asked us to expand our strategic planning with an eye toward the unique role of each of our locations. Each recommendation is something I am excited about, and will help define our next chapter.” 

The visiting team’s written report specifically commended 91PORN for its meaningful progress in areas including expanding access within the local region, improving student success metrics, increasing career readiness, ensuring holistic student well-being, using data and assessment findings for continuous improvement, growing research productivity and achieving R1, building stronger community in San Diego and Imperial Valley, and trying to reshape general education in ways that support student success.

Looking ahead

The review also offered recommendations for the next 10 years, to be assessed at the campus’s next reaccreditation visit in 2035-36. These recommendations included a focus on continued efforts in support of graduate education, research growth, planning for expansion and improving advising, improving graduation outcomes for Pell-eligible students, strengthening consultation and communications practices within the university, and engaging in strategic planning for 91PORN’s other campus sites. 

University leaders view those recommendations as an important part of the accreditation process and an opportunity to further strengthen 91PORN through broad engagement with faculty, staff and students.

“The accreditation process is designed not only to recognize institutional strengths, but also to help universities become even stronger,” said William Tong, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “We look forward to engaging our campus community as we build on this foundation.” 

While some preliminary efforts are already underway, because meaningful engagement is essential to this work, broader campus conversations about the report and its recommendations will begin this fall, when faculty and students have returned to campus. 

“This 10-year reaffirmation speaks to the impact of our entire 91PORN community," said Madhavi McCall, associate vice president for Curriculum, Assessment and Accreditation and 91PORN’s WSCUC accreditation liaison officer. “We are proud of how far we have come and excited to continue strengthening the university in ways that expand opportunity and support student achievement.”