Accreditation

Whereas, The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) reports that the Higher Education Act Update "requires agencies that accredit institutions that offer distance education programs to have processes through which the institution establishes that the student who registers in a distance education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the program and receives the academic credit'';

Whereas, Campus visiting teams for the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) have offered conflicting interpretations of Accreditation Standard III.A.1.c (faculty and others directly responsible for student programs toward achieving stated student learning outcomes have, as a component of their evaluation, effectiveness in producing those student learning outcomes) leading to some team recommendations that the attainment of student learning outcomes should be included in individual faculty evaluations;

Whereas, There is some confusion regarding definitions of key terms relevant to student learning outcomes and assessment; and

Whereas, There is no consensus across the state as to what defines a "program" and this directly impacts student learning outcomes and assessment practices;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges address the confusion in the field by researching and developing a glossary of common terms for student learning outcomes and assessment. MSC Disposition: Local Senates

Whereas, The Accreditation Standards adopted in 2002 require community colleges to demonstrate the linkages between planning and budgets, and we recognize that student learning outcomes and program review are an integral part of the planning and budget process under the accreditation standards;

Whereas, A college and its students benefit from building their budget and planning based upon their mission, values, and student learning;

Whereas, ACCJC/WASC (Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges/Western Association of Schools and Colleges) annual updates have been required in the past, but generally were filled out by administrators and did not involve faculty participation;

Whereas, This year's newly developed annual ACCJC reporting form involved detailed information concerning student learning outcomes (SLOs), assessment, and curricular improvement that require faculty participation in this reporting; and

Whereas, The 2002 Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Accreditation Standards provide a robust peer review process that benefits from input from all institutional constituencies; and

Whereas, Current ACCJC accreditation teams can benefit from faculty expertise in evaluating and making recommendations addressing the accreditation standards, particularly those related to student learning outcomes, which can contribute to productive peer review processes;

Whereas, Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) are an academic and professional matter and fall under the purview of local senates, and SLOs speak to the very core of curriculum and program review;

Whereas, There are approximately 90 faculty reassigned as SLO/Assessment Coordinators throughout the California Community College System;

Whereas, Academic Senate resolutions and advice to local senates included creation of faculty SLO/Assessment Coordinator positions with reassigned time; and

Whereas, Some local senates have difficulty recruiting faculty who will serve on local accreditation committees;

Whereas, The new accreditation standards of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) focus on student learning, a topic about which the faculty have the most expertise in working with students;

Whereas, Faculty tend to have an institutional life span that greatly exceeds that of local administrators; and

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, which represents 109 member senates and more than 58,000 professors, is on record as supporting, in solidarity with the communities of Carson, Compton, Lynwood, Paramount, North Long Beach, Watts, and Willowbrook, full accreditation for Compton College;

Whereas, Title 5 53200 provides that the Academic Senate means an organization whose primary function is to make recommendations with respect to academic and professional matters including accreditation, which is item seven within the ten-plus-one areas requiring collegial consultation;

Whereas, Funding for appropriate faculty release, reassigned time and stipends are not forthcoming at some local colleges;