1. Why is My College on warning? Understanding the Accreditation Process.
Chris Younger, Lassen College
Janet Fulks, ASCCC

2. Why is My College on warning? Understanding the Accreditation Process
Many colleges are being sanctioned through the accreditation process. What does that mean for students? Are student voices included and student concerns incorporated in the accreditation report? This is a break out designed to help the student learn what accreditation means and he/she can do to help their college through the process?

3. A Quiz
Directions for the Clickers

4. Which of the following is true of Accreditation?
A. It is a means of monitoring colleges B. It punishes colleges based upon audits C. It determines the credits students get from college courses D. It guarantees the quality of education to the federal government and the public by comparing colleges to best practices E. It grades and ranks colleges based on standards

5. What is Accreditation? Accreditation has two fundamental purposes:
To assure the quality of the institution, and
To encourage institutional improvement
Accreditation of an institution by an accrediting body certifies to the general public that the institution:
Has appropriate purposes,
Has the resources needed to accomplish its purposes,
Can demonstrate that it is accomplishing its purposes, and
Gives reason to believe that it will continue to accomplish its purposes.

6. Match the following Accreditation Status reports with their meaning
Reaffirm Accreditation
Warning
Probation
Show Cause
Loss of Accreditation
A demand to prove why the institution should continue as an accredited institution
Fully accredited institution with accredited rights
An institution without accreditation status or rights
Specific recommendations that must be addressed within a timeframe
A sanction based upon longstanding serious concern with a history of unaddressed recommendations from previous reports

7. How many California community colleges are on some form of sanction?
None
5% (≈ 6 colleges)
10% (≈ 11 colleges)
20% (≈24 colleges)
50%(≈ 58 colleges)

8. Meaning of status and current colleges at each level
Accredited
Warning
Probation
Show cause
Loss of accreditation
See handout

9. How many of you are at colleges on some kind off warning?
Did you know prior to today what your college’s accreditation status is?
What have you done as a student leader?

10. Who participates in Accreditation processes?
A. Faculty B. Administration C. Classified Staff D. Students E. All of the above

11. Which of the following aspects of accreditation have you participated in?
A. Been a member of an accreditation subcommittee
B. Represented student needs in accreditation
C. Read the accreditation or midterm report for accuracy
D. Helped students understand accreditation
E. All of the above

12. What does it mean if a college gets a negative accreditation report?
The college loses federal funding
The college loses student financial aid
The college loses the ability to transfer courses
The college can no longer operate
It depends on the negative report

13. What does it mean if a college loses accreditation status?
The college loses federal funding
The college loses student financial aid
The college may not be able to transfer course credit
The college loses community trust
All of the above

14. What role do students play in the accreditation report?
Representation on committees
Writing the report
Validating the accuracy of the report to the student perspective
Meeting with Accreditation team visitors
All of the above

15. What does accreditation look at? Four Standards
Standard 1 – Institutional Effectiveness
Standard 2 – Student Learning Outcomes
Instruction
Student Services
Library
Standard 3 – Resources
Human
Fiscal
Physical
Technology
Standard 4 - Governance

16. What does accreditation look at? Themes
organization as demonstrated in having adequate staff, resources and organizational structure (communication and decision making structures)
to identify and make public learning outcomes,
to evaluate the effectiveness of programs in producing those outcomes, and
to make improvements; 
dialogue as a means to ongoing participation in institutional self reflection based on
reliable information about the college’s programs and services and
evidence on how well the institution is meeting student needs;
institutional integrity demonstrated by concern with
honesty,
truthfulness, and
the manner in which the institution represents itself to all stakeholders, internal and external

17. What does accreditation look at? Themes
institutional commitments
to providing high quality education congruent with institutional mission,
to focusing on student learning, and
to periodic reflection on the mission statement; 
evaluation, planning, and improvement in an ongoing and systematic cycle that includes
evaluation,
goal setting,
resource distribution,
implementation, and
reevaluation;
student learning outcomes as the conscious and robust demonstration of the effectiveness of institutional efforts to produce and support student learning by developing student learning outcomes at the course, program, certificate, and degree level;

18. Where should students serve on committees?
Standard 1 – Institutional Effectiveness
Standard 2 – Student Learning Outcomes
Instruction
Student Services
Library
Standard 3 – Resources
Human
Fiscal
Physical
Technology
Standard 4 - Governance

19. What happens when accreditation works?
Every constituency is involved
The college does a rigorous and honest self evaluation
Processes are evaluated for efficiency

20. What happens when accreditation works?
Courses and programs are reviewed for usefulness and currency
Student Pathways are reviewed
Budgeting and planning are examined

21. Why are colleges placed on sanctions?
Mainly
Program review problems
Institutional effectiveness problems
Governance problems

22. Stories from a college on sanction
Lassen
Stories from a college to remain un-named

23. Exactly what should students do?
Be sure they have members on every subcommittee
Be sure the students REPRESENT
Have a goal and game plan
Know your priorities
Advocate

24. Questions for you? What does accreditation mean for the students?
What does the accreditation report mean for you?
What can you do at your college to help with the accreditation process?

25. What is Accreditation? Accreditation has two fundamental purposes:
To assure the quality of the institution, and
To encourage institutional improvement
Accreditation of an institution by an accrediting body certifies to the general public that the institution:
Has appropriate purposes,
Has the resources needed to accomplish its purposes,
Can demonstrate that it is accomplishing its purposes, and
Gives reason to believe that it will continue to accomplish its purposes.

26. Resources