Evaluation Team Visits Pasadena City College, Bid to Return to Full Academic Accreditation Now Under Review

 

Pasadena City College’s Superindent President Dr. Rajen Vurdien was on hand yesterday as the college completed a year-long scramble to comply with a litany of requirements from  Accrediting Commission for Colleges and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which placed PCC’s accreditation on probation in 2015.

An evaluation team from the Accrediting Commission for Colleges and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges arrived yesterday to pick up the required paperwork.

Pasadena City College had regularly earned accreditation since 1952.

In an earlier statement, the Association said the process of accreditation requires honest self evaluation of the institution, backed by evidence, followed by an on-site visit by an evaluation team.

“Accreditation assures students and others that the credits, certificates and degrees it awards will be of value to students and to employers,” Commission President Barbara Beno said.

The school was given until Oct. 15, 2016, to complete the recommendations. During the past year, the college’s accreditation status remained unchanged while issues were being addressed.

There is much at stake for the students.

According to Pasadena City College Courier Editor-in-Chief John Orona, while most students may not pay much attention to the accreditation issue, the students that are following the situation are worried.

“They know that if all of these recommendations aren’t taken care of, it’s possible that the school could lose their accreditation,” Orona said.

The loss of accreditation could pose problems with some credit transfers as well as possibly raise questions as to the validation of certain degrees earned at the time of the loss. Federal aid for students would also disappear.

“If a college is not accredited, its students are not eligible for federal financial aid,” Beno said. “When an institution falls shorts, it is given limited time to improve and comply.”

She added that if the school does not meet standards, they are not permitted to achieve or maintain accredited status.

“Each college or university is periodically reviewed to determine whether it meets published standards of quality and specific federal requirements for eligibility for federal funds,” Beno said.

Nine recommendations were detailed by the commission in areas that included Integrated Planning, Ethics, Student Learning and Governance and Communication.

According to the Courier, changes have been made in all nine areas, including indicating policies that will take place to evaluate the faculty and staff of the college, listing all professional development events that have happened since last spring, conducting retreats for the leadership, managers, and deans, and recording all filled entry positions.

PCC President Dr. Rajen Vurdien was in his first week of employment at the school when the probationary status was given. He addressed the issue head-on, immediately creating workgroups to address each recommendation.

In a letter to the commission, included in a 94-page follow-up report, Vurdien wrote of the school’s efforts.

“After the team’s visit in 2015, the college immediately began to work on the recommendations. Workgroups co-led by a faculty member and an administrator were formed for each recommendation. Timelines and plans were created by each group. Existing college governance committees worked in collaboration with the workgroups where appropriate,” Vurdien wrote.

According to the Courier, Vurdien told board members in a recent meeting that he had gone through all nine recommendations made by the commission and had “evidence” of solutions to every concern addressed.

Following the visit, evaluators will provide a report to the commissioners. After a detailed review of their report, the college’s self-evaluation and other evidence, the commission will make a final decision in their January, 2017 board meeting. The school will be notified of their decision on February 2, 2017.

“The college is confident that it has addressed the nine recommendations and we are very positive about that we have done,” Vurdien said. “We expect the visit to be excellent.”