On November 11, 2008, the WASC Team arrived for its Capacity and Preparatory Review Site Visit.

WASC is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the accrediting body for the states of California and Hawaii, and for all American/International schools or colleges in the Pacific and east Asia that seek U.S. accreditation. It is one of six accrediting bodies the U.S. Department of Education recognizes as able to accredit institutions as legitimate components of the U.S. education system. Their visit was one step in a multi-year process of accreditation.

The team consisted of Dr. Richard Hart, Chancellor of Loma Linda University, home of one of California's ten PA programs; Dr. Donald Zingale, President of SUNY-Cobleskill; Dr. Mike Lee, Associate Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs of CSU-Sacramento; and Dr. Nancy Byl, Professor and Chair of Physical Therapy and Rehab Science at UCSF. The four evaluators were accompanied by Touro's WASC liaison, Dr. Richard Winn.

After meeting with Provost Harter, Dr. Barbara Kriz, and Dr. Greg Troll, the team joined TU-C's faculty and staff at the Farragut Inn for a reception and poster session. Large posters lined temporary walls throughout the room, highlighting the activities of all departments in Touro-California.

Provost Harter introduced the WASC Team, as well as local non-TU-C educators and other representatives. Joint Program faculty and staff talked with all four team members, a few of whom are pictured above.

Top left: MSPAS Program Director Lauren Padilla-Valverde and Provost Harter
Top right: Dr. Donald Zingale and Associate Program Director Emily Whitehorse
Bottom left: Dr. Richard Winn; Dr. Nancy Byl; Dr. Donald Zingale; Dr. Mike Lee; and Dr. Richard Hart
Bottom right: Dr. Richard Hart and Ms Padilla-Valverde

The Joint Program presented these three posters.

1 - The Joint MSPAS/MPH Program

2 - Excellence in Diversity

3 - What is a Health Disparity?