Statement of Support for WesternU’s Physician Assistant’s (PA) Program

Dear WesternU Students, Faculty and Staff,

I hope you are enjoying your summer.

Earlier this week, I received a few messages from constituents regarding the accreditation status of WesternU’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program and its potential impact on the College of Health Sciences and the institution, at large. I would like to take a moment to provide the campus community with clarity around this issue while also formally establishing my unequivocal support of the current PA students, faculty, and staff.

Accreditation is an ongoing process for all Universities and Colleges in the United States. WesternU is accredited, institutionally, by the WASC Senior College and University Commission and only offers graduate health programs that are accredited by our respective specialty accreditors.

As a result of a standard accreditation review of our PA Program, ARC-PA, the accreditor for our PA program, determined that our PA Program did not meet their Standards of Accreditation and changed our accreditation status from “continuing” to “probation”, and, as a condition of this action, restricted our ability to enroll and register the previously admitted incoming class of 95 students for the 2023-24 academic year. Our PA Program remains accredited during this time as probation is a temporary accreditation status initially of not less than two years.

Probation accreditation status is granted, at the sole discretion of the ARC-PA, when a program does not, in the judgment of the ARC-PA, meet its Standards of Accreditation or when the capability of the program to provide an acceptable educational experience for its students is threatened.

While WesternU recognizes the vital role that ARC-PA plays in evaluating PA programs, I want to emphasize that we firmly disagree with their decision. Although our appeal to ARC-PA was unsuccessful, we believe that ARC-PA’s action to restrict enrollment in our program is a flagrant injustice to our students, faculty, and the community that we serve and is unwarranted based on ARC-PA’s policies and procedures. WesternU unequivocally stands behind the excellent educational quality of our PA program which has enjoyed over 20+ years of continuing accreditation with ARC-PA prior to ARC-PA’s current decision. WesternU is doing our best to actively challenge this decision.  We remain hopeful for a positive outcome and resolution as soon as possible, but we cannot guarantee that our efforts will be successful.

To our PA faculty and staff, please know that we are working diligently to achieve a resolution and hope to achieve a positive outcome quickly and efficiently. I want to thank each of you for your dedication and commitment to our wonderful PA students, the PA Program, the College of Health Sciences and to WesternU. We know you are doing your best to support our current students during this time and WesternU will do its best to support you as the PA Program prepares for the upcoming focused site visit with ARC-PA scheduled on August 24 and 25th. I ask that each member of our campus community rally behind the College and PA Program during the next weeks and months with support and encouragement.

To our current students in the PA program (and those who are returning from a leave of absence but who were enrolled prior to the 23-24 academic year), please know that we remain accredited by ARC-PA. The ARC-PA decision does not impact your ability to receive financial aid. Further, it will not impact your ability to graduate or advance through the PA program, provided you meet all the educational requirements.

For additional information, including future updates and FAQs, current students, faculty and staff can click the following link: PA Program Accreditation . If there are further questions, we have set up an email where questions can be sent: PA_accreditation@westernu.edu./health-sciences/programs/master-of-science-in-physician-assistant-studies/accreditation/

Our PA program continues to be an incredibly important part of the WesternU ecosystem. I have no doubt that our institution will emerge from this both better prepared to partner with ARC-PA, and continue to deliver an outstanding program that trains superb clinicians who deliver excellent care to patients.

Best,
Robin