Institutional Accreditation
The College of the Marshall Islands is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, 428 J Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814, (415) 506-0234, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Additional information about accreditation, including the filing of complaints against member institutions, can be found at: www.accjc.org
The ACCJC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) as a reliable authority regarding the quality of education offered by the institutions that we accredit in keeping with the Higher Education Act of 1965. The Department of Education conducts a review of accrediting commissions every five years and confers recognition on agencies that continue to meet its criteria. Institutions wishing to provide students with federal financial aid must seek accreditation from a ED-recognized accrediting body.
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has established criteria that define a quality review system for accrediting agencies. Although CHEA recognition is voluntary, many accrediting agencies participate in the CHEA quality review process as part of their own efforts to establish and maintain quality practices. In its January 2021 action, CHEA renewed its recognition of ACCJC for seven years.
As part of the institutional accreditation process, CMI regularly completes a comprehensive review, which is followed by a visit from a team of peer reviewers from ACCJC-member institutions. CMI submitted its Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER) in January 2021. The March 16-19, 2021 peer review visit was conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At its June 2021 meeting, ACCJC acted to reaffirm CMI’s accreditation for 18 months and require a Follow-Up Report. CMI’s Follow-Up Report was submitted October 1, 2022, and the follow-up visit was held virtually October 17-18. At its January 2023 meeting, ACCJC acted to reaffirm CMI’s accreditation for the remainder of the cycle.
CMI’s midterm report is due March 15, 2025. The college’s next comprehensive review will begin with the Team ISER Review in the fall term of 2027 and conclude with a Focused Site Visit in the spring term of 2028.
Accreditation documents from previous cycles can be found in the Accreditation Documents Archive.
Accreditation Steering Committee
Chaired by the Accreditation Liaison Officer, Cheryl Vila, the Accreditation Steering Committee ensures that accreditation at CMI is an ongoing concern. The committee is currently tasked to ensure that improvement plans and recommendations are being implemented and to advocate for the relevance of accreditation standards to the daily work of the college.
Current members:
- Standard I Representative: Cheryl Vila, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
- Standard II Representative: Rigieta Lord, Dean of WAVES
- Standard III Representative: Kayo Yamaguchi-Kotton, Director of Human Resources
- Standard IV Representative: Hatty Kabua, Grant Coordinator
- Quality Focus Essay Representative: Vasemaca Savu, Dean of Academic Affairs
- Faculty Senate Representative: Kirk Layton, Liberal Arts Instructor
- Staff Senate Representative: Meria Bollong, Executive Council Secretariat
- SGA Representative: Logan Lelet
Reports to the Campus Community
The Accreditation Liaison Officer prepares regular reports of the college’s accreditation-related progress.
Substantive Change
On May 22, 2023, ACCJC’s Committee on Substantive Change voted to approve CMI’s application to offer two new maritime certificates of completion.
On May 24, 2022, ACCJC’s Committee on Substantive Change voted to approve CMI’s application to begin offering full programs at the Kwajalein campus.
