ACCREDITATION UPDATE: PREPARING FOR THE OCTOBER 2014 VISIT

What is Accreditation: “Accreditation is a system of self regulation developed by higher education institutions to evaluate overall institutional quality and encourage continual improvement. Colleges and universities form membership associations to set up an accrediting agency and work with that agency to establish the quality standards used to rigorously evaluate the institutions. Accreditation Standards represent the best practices in higher education and set a high expectation for quality.”

The Accreditation Process There are four phases to the accreditation process: Internal evaluation External evaluation by professional peers Commission evaluation Institutional self-improvement to meet evolving regional and federal standards. Every 7 years (a recent change from the previous 6 year cycle) ACCJC members have agreed to undergo the comprehensive process to determine whether they are meeting their established Accreditation Standards.

CCC’s Upcoming Site Visit On October 6-9, 2014, CCC will host an External Evaluation Team comprised of professional peers from a cross-section of community college constituencies, who volunteer their time and provide independent insights based on both the written Institutional Self Evaluation Report and their interactions and observations during the campus visit. The Team chair is selected based on expertise and accreditation experience. Additional team members are drawn from a roster of experienced educators who have exhibited leadership and balanced judgment; and typically includes several faculty members, academic and student services administrators, a chief executive officer, a trustee, a business officer, and individuals with expertise/experience in learning resources, distance education, and/or planning, research and evaluation.

Roster of the External Evaluation Team for Contra Costa College Ms. Sylvia Thomas, Team ChairDr. Angela FairchildsMs. Cheryl Stewart Associate Vice ChancellorPresidentLibrarian Educational ServicesColumbia CollegeCoastline Community College Riverside Community College Mr. Mark GreenhalghMr. Mark Yeager Ms. Naomi Foley, Team AssistantDean of Mathematics & ComputerProfessor Chemistry Instructional Support CoordinatorScience; Acting Dean of Natural SciencesMira Costa College Riverside Community CollegeFullerton College Dr. Lisa AllenMs. Carol Hilton Professor Art HistoryVice President for Administrative Services Irvine Valley CollegeSaddleback College Ms. Della AndersonMr. Robert Lee Director, Planning, Policy & AssessmentInstructor, Writing Center Coordinator Leeward Community CollegePasadena City College Dr. Santanu BandyopadhyayMs. Fran Leonard Executive Vice President EducationProfessor of English Programs & Student ServicesWest Los Angeles College Cypress College Ms. Mary DominguezMr. John Means Dean of Student AffairsAssociate Chancellor Economic & Hartnell CollegeWorkforce Development Kern Community College District The visit to the District Office will be led by Dr. Adriana Barrera, Lead Team Chair, and will occur prior to the beginning of the visit to CCC. Dr. Barrera is from Los Angeles Community College District.

Dialogue with External Evaluation Team members will include both structured conversations---such as Open Forums, classroom visits, individual interviews, or meetings---and informal conversations with members of the campus community. Among the primary responsibilities of the External Evaluation Team are: 1) Assess the Institutional Self Evaluation Report, and clarify any questions; 2)Confirm that institutional practices are aligned with the Accreditation Standards; 3) Identify potential areas for improved compliance; 4)Assure the Commission that the College continues to meet eligibility requirements; that the institution has been responsive to the recommendations of the previous visiting teams; and that the College has developed sound evaluation and planning procedures to foster improvement of student achievement and student learning outcomes;

 5) Reinforce and extend the College’s commitment to its continuing pursuit of excellence; and 6) Write an evaluative report with recommendations for improvement. Although, an institution may meet all Accreditation Standards, continuous improvement remains a key goal of the accreditation process.

Questions that the accreditation external evaluation team may ask of us are likely to include: What is the college Mission-Vision-Values? How do they affect what you do? What is the student learning experience at CCC? What goals do you have for your students and how do you know they are achieving them? What part have you played in assessment? How do decisions get made at CCC? What avenues do you have to participate in decision-making? Where do you find information about college plans and achievements? Do you have the resources and support you need to do your job? Is CCC a place where all students and employees are treated equitably and with respect?

Upon completion of the visit, the team will submit their report to the ACCJC. The College should receive the results from the ACCJC in February The Contra Costa College Accreditation website provides an overview of the accreditation process. You’ll find the 2014 Self Evaluation Report of Educational Quality and Institutional Effectiveness (with hyperlinks of the references and evidence), bios and pictures of the External Evaluation Team, and past reports and other accreditation related information. The Accreditation website link is: For more information on the ACCJC and accreditation process go to: