Statement of Accreditation Status
Palo Alto University

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1791 Arastradero Rd
Palo Alto, CA 94304
United States
Telephone: 
800-818-6136
URL: 
http://www.paloaltou.edu
Staff Liaison

Each institution is assigned a staff liaison who is their primary point of contact for accreditation activities.

: 
Tamela Hawley
OPEID

The OPEID number is used by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) to identify schools that have Program Participation Agreements (PPA) for purposes of eligibility to participate in Federal Student Financial Assistance programs under Title IV.

: 
021383
Student Achievement URL

WSCUC Standards require that institutions regularly generate, evaluate, and make public data about student achievement, including measures of retention, and graduation, and evidence of student learning.

: 
http://www.paloaltou.edu/about/data-admissions-outcomes-and-more
Current Accreditation Status

Accredited- Indicates that the Commission has found that an institution has met or exceeded the expectations of the Standards and the Core Commitments to Institutional Capacity and Educational Effectiveness. Initial accreditation is for a period of five to seven years before the next comprehensive review. Reaffirmation is granted for a period of seven to ten years and may be accompanied by a request for interim reports and/or special visits, or a formal Notice of Concern.

: 
Accredited
Most Recent Commission Action: 
Friday, June 29, 2018
Granted Candidacy

Candidacy is a status of preliminary affiliation with the Senior College and University Commission, awarded for a maximum of four years following a procedure for institutional review that includes self-study and on-site visitation. Candidacy indicates that the institution meets all or nearly all the Standards at a minimum level. Candidacy is not accreditation and does not ensure eventual accreditation; it means that an institution is progressing toward accreditation. This is the date that the institution was first granted the status of Candidacy with WSCUC. Not all institutions have become accredited with WSCUC through the Candidacy process.

: 
1980
First Accredited

Date the institution was first accredited by WSCUC.

: 
1986
Undergraduate FTE: 
98
Graduate FTE: 
832
Financial Structure Type

Institutions within the WSCUC region are classified as Non-profit, For-profit or State-supported.

: 
Non-Profit
Sponsorship

Choices include: No related entity, Proprietary with Parent Board, Religious Control, Multi-institutional system, Other. For more information please see the Related Entities Policy.

: 
No Related Entity
Academic Calendar

The period of time generally extending from September to June; usually equated to 2 semesters or trimesters, 3 quarters, or the period covered by a 4-1-4 calendar system.

: 
Quarter
Distributes Federal Financial Aid: 
Yes
 
Report Change of Personnel

 

Rolesort descending Name Title E-mail
Accreditation Liaison Officer James Breckenridge Chief of Staff/ALO jbreckenridge [at] paloaltou.edu
Board of Directors Chair Daniel Kostenbauder Board Chair dan.kostenbauder [at] comcast.net
Chief Academic Officer Risa Dickson Vice President of Academic Affairs rdickson [at] paloaltou.edu
Chief Executive Officer Maureen O'Connor President moconnor [at] paloaltou.edu
Chief Financial Officer June Klein Vice President Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer jklein [at] paloaltou.edu
Director Institutional Research Jennifer Lehner Director of Institutional Research jlehner [at] paloaltou.edu
Change Mailing AddressChange Location AddressReport New Location

 

OPEID Location Namesort descending City Location Type Status
02138300 College of San Mateo San Mateo Additional Active
02138300 De Anza College Cupertino Additional Active
02138300 Foothill College Los Altos Hills Additional Active
02138300 Gronowski Clinic Los Altos Additional Active
02138300 Palo Alto University Palo Alto Main Campus Active
Report New Degree Program

 

Degreesort descending Degree Level Year Implemented Modality
Bachelor of Science in Business Psychology Bachelors 2009 On-Site
Bachelor of Science in Business Psychology Bachelors 2011 Distance Education
Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Social Action Bachelors 2006 On-Site
Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Social Action Bachelors 2011 Distance Education
JD-PhD in Psychology and Law Professional Doctorate 1997 On-Site
MA Counseling Masters 2011 Distance Education
MA Counseling Masters 2011 On-Site
MA Counseling Psychology Masters 2011 Distance Education
MA in Counseling Psychology Masters 2011 On-Site
MA in Mental Health Counseling Psychology Masters 2009 Distance Education
MS in Psychology Masters 2000 Distance Education
PhD in Clinical Psychology Professional Doctorate 1975 On-Site
PsyD in Clinical Psychology Professional Doctorate 2002 On-Site
Season Year Review Type
Fall 2020 Interim Report

Interim Reports focus on specific issues of concern identified as part of the comprehensive review process, annual report submission, the complaint process, substantive change, or other interactions with the Commission. The purpose of Interim Reports is to ensure that institutions continue to meet the Core Commitments and Standards with respect to the identified areas of concern.
Spring 2022 Mid-Cycle Review

The Mid-Cycle Review (MCR) is a review of each institution near the midpoint of its period of accreditation, focusing particularly on student achievement. The Review is performed by WSCUC staff, and draws on evidence from an update of the institution’s Inventory of Educational Effectiveness Indicators and retention and graduation data, as well as any trends emerging from Annual Reports to surface any potential issues across the Standards. The overall purpose of the Mid-Cycle Review is to "identify problems with an institution's or program's continued compliance with agency standards" while "tak[ing] into account institutional or program strengths and stability" (U.S. Department of Education, §602.19(b)).
Fall 2025 Offsite Review
Spring 2026 Accreditation Visit

The following links are to external resources not maintained by WSCUC. They are provided for your convenience.