This paper is written to provide readers with a brief description of the accrediting process as it relates to the California Community Colleges, with an emphasis on faculty involvement in this process, both at the policy and implementation levels. It includes recommendations of how faculty can participate more fully and effectively. Appendices are included to provide more complete information.
Finally, the local senate should fully participate in reviewing and acting on the recommendations in the visiting team's report. The senate president should receive a copy of the report and devise means for working with administrators and other constituencies to act on the recommendations in the report and draft whatever interim reports the Commission requests. In short, the local senate should be involved with all activities that have been precipitated by the team report.
In summary, the responsibilities of the local academic senates in the accreditation process are:
- Play a substantive role in the development of the self-study plan, including the committee structure.
- Appoint faculty members to serve on all the self-study plan, including the committee structure.
- Encourage broad-based faculty participation.
- Provide a schedule of senate and other faculty committee meetings to the visiting team chair and invite the team members to attend a senate meeting.
- Have the senate president included in the meeting between the team chair and the college president to review the proposed recommendations for factual accuracy.
- Receive and review the recommendations in the final report.
- Develop, through consultation, a plan to respond to the recommendations in the final report.
- Participate in drafting whatever interim reports are requested by the Accrediting Commission.