Skeptics such as columnist George Will have long snickered about CSU-Monterey Bay and its embrace of spacey education terms.

But next month Will and the other skeptics just might have to put a lid on it.

For the first time, the university is up for accreditation. And if the Western Association of Schools and Colleges gives the Sea Otters the thumbs up, CSUMB's holistic approach to major learning outcomes will be, well, validated.

"It's like getting a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval," said CSUMB Provost Diane Cordero de Noriega. "It's a huge step in the maturing of the institution."

It's probably the most important step since its founding in 1994. Accreditation means CSUMB would be eligible for inclusion into many media rankings -- think U.S. News & World Report -- and college guides. Students would have an easier time transferring credits to other colleges, getting accepted into graduate school and licensing programs, and obtaining financial aid. Faculty would also find it easier to obtain grants. Although CSUMB officials say those areas haven't been big problems, they acknowledge that accreditation would eliminate any glitches.

"There are a number of groups, nationally and locally, who don't take you seriously unless you're accredited," said CSUMB Public Information Officer Holly White.

University officials have been working to get accredited since the campus opened in 1994. A team from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges has visited the campus four times since then, and has evaluated not just academic programs, but also areas such as facilities and student life.

The Sea Otters are anxious to see just what the association thinks about their offbeat style. Outsiders, after all, often don't know what to make of a CSUMB student's "service learning" or his "human communication" degree.

White said, "They'll let us know: Are our methods different for the sake of being different, or is there purpose in them?"

From the looks of it, the accreditation association does, indeed, see a purpose beyond the edu-babble. Even its executive director uses CSUMB-speak.

Ralph Wolf said the association has modified its standards to reflect the shifting methods of universities such as CSUMB, saying they now reflect "the emphasis on student learning outcomes and institutions' relationship to the community."

Language such as that has CSUMB officials cautiously optimistic. They left the latest accreditation team, Wolf said, "with a very positive impression."

The association will discuss accreditation June 19 and notify the university of its decision at the beginning of next month.