Commentary
Bottom line: La Sierra University just got put on official “Warning” by its main accreditor (WASC). That means the accreditors found serious problems:
The school isn’t properly checking whether students are actually learning what they’re supposed to.
It hasn’t been doing the required reviews of its own academic programs.
It’s struggling with money and student numbers (it has a big budget deficit and enrollment issues).
The university is still fully accredited right now, and current students’ degrees and credits are fine. But it’s on notice: it has until mid-2028 (about two years) to fix these problems, with required progress reports, a special follow-up visit, and a backup plan in case the school ever has to close. If it doesn’t clean things up in time, it could eventually lose its WASC accreditation.
The General Conference of SDA
La Sierra University (LSU) is still accredited by the Adventist Accrediting Association (AAA), the official accrediting body of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. This is confirmed by:
The official AAA Tertiary Institution Accreditation Status list (version dated May 12, 2026), which lists La Sierra University as fully accredited (graduate-level institution) through 2027.
LSU’s own website and its current (2026–2027) undergraduate bulletin, which continue to list AAA accreditation with no caveats or sanctions.
In spite of the school continuing to teach evolutionary biology, including macroevolution concepts, the Adventist Accrediting Association (Mrs. Lisa Hardy, director) continues to give them accreditation. There is no evidence that LSU has shifted to a biblical young-Earth creationist biology program, but Hardy continues to give them GC accreditation.
LSU hosts an annual Lavender Graduation specifically to honor and celebrate LGBTQ+ graduates. University President Christon Arthur participates, speaks at the events, and has publicly affirmed that “La Sierra is big enough for all” and that LGBTQ+ students have a permanent “home” at the university.
In spite of this, the General Conference of SDA Adventist Accrediting Association (AAA) continues to give LSU accreditation.
This has created substantial strain within the Seventh-day Adventist Church body, and feeds a growing narrative that money, connections, and a denominational pedigree (not biblical faithfulness) is all that is needed to maintain your status in the SDA insider club.
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“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ” (2 Cor. 11:13).