Linda Petersen

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Linda Petersen
Vice President, WASC Senior College and University Commission,
Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Linda Petersen is vice president of the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), part of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). She joined WSCUC in 2016 and oversees accreditation processes and policy initiatives for higher education institutions. Previously, she held various research, teaching, and administrative positions at the University of California, Berkeley, including associate director for operations at the Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research (BEAR) Center and associate director for research at Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). She also served as program manager at the University of California Office of the President, overseeing a system-wide project aimed at increasing STEM faculty diversity. Petersen’s legal experience includes work with the California Department of Education’s legal office as a legal researcher and state special education mediator. Her volunteer efforts include serving as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) for children in the foster care system. Petersen earned both her MA and PhD in education from the University of California, Berkeley.

updated 2025

Publications by Linda Petersen
Child Care and Development Services for Children and Families—Phase III Final Report, Part 2
Phase III of the California Cares report sought to analyze preliminary recommendations and involve the childcare and development community to redesign policies. Work groups and field representatives discussed proposals for improving services, with…
Child Care and Development Services for Children and Families—Phase III Final Report, Part 1
Phase III of the California Cares report aimed to redesign childcare and development policy, with input from the community and representatives from three agencies. Work groups and traditional research projects were conducted to study nine questions…
Child Care and Development Services for Children and Families—Phase II Final Report Executive Summary
The California Cares Project, conducted by PACE for the California Department of Education, Social Services & Office of Child Development & Education, culminates in this report. The project was initiated in response to AB 2184, which sought…
Child Care and Development Services for Children and Families—Phase I Final Report
The California Department of Education, Social Services, and Governor's Office of Child Development and Education selected PACE to analyze issues and options for improving California's childcare system. PACE will produce a report with optional…