UKIAH, California, February 3, 2014 — Dharma Realm Buddhist University (DRBU) today announced that the Senior College and University Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) has granted DRBU eligibility to proceed with an application for WASC Candidacy and Initial Accreditation—a significant progress in the University’s pursuit of regional accreditation.
In its letter, the Commission expressed appreciation for the “preparation DRBU undertook in its application which exhibited depth of consideration and care” as well as the “clear articulation of [DRBU’s] philosophy blending the East and West in a broad liberal arts-based education growing out of Buddhism.” Further, the Commission stated that DRBU’s “strong program with solid academics, a qualified administration, faculty, and staff” and thorough understanding of the accreditation process are evidence of the University’s “potential to achieve accreditation and to show further growth.” The Commission also provided feedback on DRBU’s Eligibility application and highlighted important areas that require additional attention as DRBU works toward WASC Candidacy, which it has “until Fall 2017 to achieve.”
Obtaining WASC Candidacy is a top priority for DRBU, and the University plans on working closely with WASC in the coming years to meet the Commission’s accreditation Standards and Criteria for Review.
About Dharma Realm Buddhist University (DRBU)
The mission of Dharma Realm Buddhist University is to provide liberal education in the broad Buddhist tradition—a tradition characterized by knowledge in the arts and sciences, selfcultivation, and the pursuit of wisdom. Its pedagogical aim is thus twofold: to convey knowledge and to activate an intrinsic wisdom possessed by all individuals. Developing this inherent capacity requires an orientation toward learning that is dialogical, interactive, probing, and deeply self-reflective. Such education aims to make students free in the deepest sense and to open the opportunity to pursue the highest goals of human existence.
To advance its mission, DRBU strives to become a leading teaching university that provides an integrated liberal education at both the undergraduate and graduate level. This liberal education will remain centered around the probing examination of classical primary texts from the East and West, including those from the broad Buddhist tradition. The University offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and a Master of Arts degree in Buddhist Classics at its campus in Ukiah, California.
DRBU has applied for Eligibility from the WASC Senior College and University Commission. WASC has reviewed the application and determined that the University is eligible to proceed with an application for Candidacy and Initial Accreditation. A determination of Eligibility is not a formal status with the WASC Senior College and University Commission, nor does it ensure eventual accreditation. It is a preliminary finding that the institution is potentially accreditable and can proceed within four years of its Eligibility determination to be reviewed for Candidacy and Initial Accreditation status with the Commission. Questions about Eligibility may be directed to the institution or to WASC at wascsr@wascsenior.org or (510) 748-9001.