Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Report Urges New Accreditor for California’s Community Colleges (Chronicle of Higher Education)

     Many lawmakers and others are calling for accreditors to get tougher with higher education and not let poor-performing colleges off the hook.
     But a new report says the California community-college system needs a new, kinder, gentler accreditor. The system commissioned the report in the wake of a bruising legal battle over the accreditation of the City College of San Francisco.
     The current accreditor for the system’s 113 colleges, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, has been uncooperative, resistant to repeated calls for change and disrespectful of the governing structures and processes of its member institutions, says the report, which was released on Friday. In addition, the commission takes too many adverse actions against the colleges, the report says, noting that all but 37 of the institutions were under some level of sanction between 2005 and 2015.
. . .
     Brice W. Harris, chancellor of the community college system, said in a statement that he agrees it is time to find a new accrediting agency for the colleges….

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

The report from the Chancellor's Office is long overdue. The ACCJC led by Babs Beno has been allowed to run roughshod over the colleges and causing undo turmoil and costs to the institutions.
Time to change direction and have the WAC or other group perform accreditation. Bye, Bye ACCJC and welcome to a more friendly, and positive approach to accreditation for our colleges.

Anonymous said...

Our region (WASC) is the only one that separates 4 year colleges and universities into two categories: one for JCs/CCs and the other for 4 year and above folks. Would be nice to have 4 year folks on visiting teams to offer advice on how well we are preparing students for upper division work.

Bob Cosgrove said...

For faculty and for our classified and administrative colleagues, Accreditation is one of the few wedges we have of bringing about change. It was used effectively by IVC and Saddleback faculty in the 1990s when Ragu Mather and company roamed this district. Some newer colleagues do not realize the importance of Accreditation in making colleges the best they can be for students and for employees.

Even the weakest of colleges have some good faculty, some good administrators, some good classified staff and some good students. Good accreditation visits raise the numbers of these groups.

Anonymous said...

Of course the CCC's want a 'kinder and gentler' accreditor. An agency who will let them do what they want. Why would they want any accountability? Just keep the money flowing, no questions asked.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone have the contact information to the accreditation office if there is one so that they can here just how management in the F&M department continues to harrass employees.

Anonymous said...

Hi Bob

is there contact info for the accreditation.

Anonymous said...

If they change out the current accreds and their TQM approach, would that not render our research departments obsolete? According to Roy, there has never been any scientific study produced that can justify the current SLO mandate.

Anonymous said...

2:09, Glenn advised us against bringing such low level issues to the accreditation team. He recommended that we see him first where he has some kind of HUG mediation team waiting for you.

Unknown said...

This is hardly about dodging accountability to keep the money flowing; it is about resisting the silly "educational" nostrums of the TQM crowd. And it's about resisting the overreach and cronyism that infects the ACCJC. Take a look at those CA colleges that have been on warning or some other sanction in the last decade. And take a look at those colleges that haven't received a sanction. Then take a look at who is on the ACCJC. I'd be willing to wager that the best predictor of a college not being sanctioned is an administration connection to the ACCJC.

Bob Cosgrove said...

7:40 Sept. 4th. I've been out of town so I haven't looked at messages.

What contact info do you need? For Saddleback? For IVC? For District? For the ACCJC?

Anonymous said...

ACCJC Re. IVC. Thanks, Bob.

Bob Cosgrove said...

You can check with Kathy Schmeidler, Academic Senate President and Co-Chair of the IVC Accreditation Team.

Google ACCJC where documents may be reviewed for concerns you and others may have.

Does this help?

Bob

Anonymous said...

Hello Bob

Thank you for responding. I would like the contact info for IVC.

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...