California’s free online Calbright College has received accreditation from the Washington, D.C.-based Distance Education Accrediting Commission.
The accreditation allows Calbright to begin to get its courses approved for transfer to other colleges and to accept transfers from other schools.
“We are the leading edge of the learning curve for how to best support adult learners and this milestone not only affirms the exceptional work of our faculty, students, and staff, but also paves the path forward as we move through and beyond our seven-year start-up period," said Calbright CEO Ajita Talwalker Menon, in a news release.
Founded at the end of 2019 with $60 million in seed money from the state of California, Calbright has ongoing funding of $15 million annually to provide its mission of offering workforce training to anyone on the state.
Calbright has 3,050 students enrolled now. That's up from 481 students in early 2021, when the program came under pressure and criticism. The college has survived several attempts by lawmakers in the state to kill it because it had a shaky start.
Calbright was required under its enabling legislation to reach accreditation by April 2025, which it beat by more than 1 1/2 years.
Calbright is a self-paced alternative to a traditional university or community college. Its main mission is to serve adults seeking workforce development training, said spokesman Brendan O'Callaghan.
Self-pacing is a major aspect of Calbright, because it allows students to work around their jobs, raising kids and other life obligations. Some students can hammer through a certificate program in four months, whereas others may take 18 months, O'Callaghan said.
Calbright is hiring more staff and more faculty now as its enrollment numbers rise.
O’Callaghan said the effort had some stumbles early on, but it was also a new school that launched for the most part during the pandemic. Most of the original leadership left late in 2020, and enrollment has been growing under new management.
Most of Calbright’s courses now tend to be in information technology support, cybersecurity and customer relationship management administration. The college offers certificates in those programs, O’Callaghan said. Unlike the state’s community colleges, it does not offer associate of arts degrees.
Calbright is based in an office in Downtown Sacramento, though all of its classes are offered only remotely. Its employees, about 100 statewide, also work remotely.
Calbright is open only to California residents. The only thing candidates need to enroll is a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Rather than requiring time in class, the courses are set up based on competency. If you can pass a test module with the required skills, you can move on to the next course.
Administratively, Calbright operates under the Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges.
