Accreditation: Past, Present… Future?

Michelle Grimes-Hillman, Mt. San Antonio CollegeJoseph Bielanski, Berkeley City CollegeRichard Mahon, Riverside City CollegeGlenn Yoshida, LA Southwest College

 

Accreditation Past1880s: First regional accrediting commissions begin work

1918: The American Council on Education (ACE) founded

1923: 23 private colleges establish the National Association of Accredited Commercial Schools (now the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges & Schools, ACICS)

Post WWII: Federal government takes increased interest in higher ed due to Federal funding of the GI Bill

1996: “COPA” replaced by Council for Higher Education (CHEA) as primary advisors to Congress and the Dept. of Education

National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality & Integrity (NACIQI), an advisory committee flowing out of the 1965 Higher Education Act

Accreditation Past: Regional Accreditors & California

New England Commission

1885

Middle States Commission

1887

Southern Association 1896

First CCC Opens in Fresno

1907

WASC 1962

ACCJC 1962

Accreditation Present:The R-P Group Scrutinizes

Accreditation, 2011The RP Group undertakes a major research project focused on three regional accreditors, published in February 2011:

Focusing Accreditation on Quality Improvement (138 pp plus a 14 page shorter version)

1. Emphasize quality & Improvements2. Strengthen training & support3. Improve accreditation through greater collaboration

Accreditation Present:Recent Collaborations

ASCCC Accreditation Institutes begin 2007

ACCJC partners with R-P Group for Student Success Conferences beginning fall 2010

ACCJC partners with CCCCIOs beginning fall 2010

ACCJC partners with CCLC beginning 2010

ACCJC to partner with ASCCC, Feb. 2012 (also participated in 2008 Accreditation Institute)

“New Directions in Member Services”:regional trainings, online training, online ALO/CIOdiscussion board

Accreditation Present:Comparing Standards…

WASC Standards: 4 Standards, 12 pages

SACS Standards: Several sections, 11 pages

ACCJC Standards: 4 major sections, 9 total subsections, 26 pages

New/increased attention to institutional financial solvency

Accreditation… Future?

ACCJC, first steps toward review of the 2002 Standards

Summer 2011 Newsletter notes Peter Ewell invited to help the Commission; Fall 2011 Newsletter notes ongoing developments in European “Quality Assurance”

Fall 2011 Newsletter: Brad Phillips (Cal-PASS), “Focus on Quality” & metrics; summary of “New Requirements for Accreditors”, summary of SLO progress in annual reports

Accreditation… Future?

Spring plenary 2011, Judith Eaton suggests “various theoretical options”:

“1. Maintain the relationship with your current accreditor.

“2. In the case of the western region, consider seeking accreditation by the senior commission.  This would require a significant change for the senior commission that is not fully within its control.

“3. Choose to be accredited by one of the “national” accreditors that are federally  or CHEA-recognized.

“4. Establish a new accrediting organization that would be federally or CHEA-recognized.  This would likely take 2-3 years.”

• Where would we go?• What resources & timetable would be necessary to arrive?• Given Federal pressures on all regional accreditors, is the grass greener anywhere?

Accreditation… Future?

Federal Government, Issues on the Horizon:

• The “two-year rule”• Gainful Employment on hold• DE verification & state authorization• “the credit hour”• Need to clarify processes for student complaints

Accreditation… Future?

What next steps might the ASCCC take to best prepare CCCs for the road ahead?

What more might the ASCCC do to partner with the ACCJC to support California community colleges?