Dharma Realm Buddhist University (DRBU) is pleased to announce that it has been granted Initial Accreditation by the WASC Senior Commission of Universities and Colleges (WSCUC) for the maximum allowable period of six years. The WSCUC stated in its Commission Action Letter that its decision “confirms that [DRBU] has addressed the three Core Commitments and has successfully completed the institutional review process for Initial Accreditation.”

DRBU offers two “Great Books”-style degree programs with a strong emphasis on Asian core texts and the integration of contemplative exercises, features that set DRBU apart from other liberal arts colleges. The University launched the MA in Buddhist Classics and the BA in Liberal Arts in 2013 and 2014, and the two programs have sixteen and eighteen students, respectively. Prior to the accreditation of DRBU, there were fewer than ten accredited senior colleges and universities in California north of the San Francisco Bay. DRBU is the first accredited four-year institution in Mendocino County.

DRBU has benefitted from going through the rigorous WSCUC review process for Initial Accreditation, which comprises comprehensive self-studies, extensive reporting, and two on-site reviews conducted by a team of peer educators from WSCUC-accredited institutions. “The granting of Initial Accreditation affirms the collective resolve of the University community to continuously reflect and improve on DRBU’s effectiveness in furthering its mission: conveying knowledge and activating inherent wisdom,” states Bhikshuni Heng Chih, Chairperson of the DRBU Board of Trustees.

In addition to commending DRBU for demonstrating “a strong sense of student centeredness that is still possible in higher education” in its final report, the team of reviewers assembled by WSCUC remarked that “DRBU is poised to sustain and advance itself as an acknowledged leader in innovative higher education.”

President Rounds congratulates and thanks the DRBU community for this collective achievement and pays tribute to the University’s late founder:

“Achieving accreditation is an important milestone for DRBU on a path that began when the late Venerable Master Hsuan Hua founded the University more than forty years ago. His exalted vision of liberal education in the broad Buddhist tradition, leading to radically free and radically responsible individuals who pursue the highest goals of human existence continues to inspire us. We take to heart the WSCUC Visiting Team’s specific affirmation of DRBU’s dedication to transforming the lives of our students and look forward to the new opportunities for DRBU that come with Initial Accreditation.”

The visiting team report and WSCUC Action Letter from the review of Dharma Realm Buddhist University are available on the WSCUC website at https://www.wscuc.org/institutions/dharma-realm-buddhist-university.