By Laurel Rosenhall, Associated Press
Community colleges throughout California are facing
sanctions from the agency that accredits colleges in the West, largely a result
of the state cutting funding for several years as the federal government has
stepped up performance standards.
The most severe cases are at the community colleges in San
Francisco, San Luis Obispo and Eureka, where officials have issued sanctions
one stop short of yanking accreditation -- and have ordered the colleges to
make plans to shut down.
Several others are facing milder sanctions from the
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, a division of the
Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This year the commission has put
10 campuses, including those in Modesto, Redding and San Jose, on the midlevel "probation"
status. It has placed another 14 campuses -- including those in Berkeley,
Oakland, Merced and Fresno -- on the low-level "warning" status.
"The problems colleges have run into with accreditation
are abnormally acute at this point in time in California," said David
Baime, a senior vice president with the American Association of Community
Colleges.
"The colleges in California have been subject to such
savage budget reductions that it has placed institutions under a great deal of
financial and administrative strain. I think that's a big part of the issue for
the colleges."
Money problems are at the core of the accreditation crisis
at City College of San Francisco.
Accreditors dinged the school for three years of deficit
spending, putting 92 percent of its budget toward salaries and benefits, and
not reining in its mission even as funding dwindled. The college serves 90,000
students at more than 100 locations and offers scores of free non-credit
classes.
"We have no choice but to fix these problems,"
said college spokesman Larry Kamer. "Loss of accreditation would be
catastrophic, and we're just not going to let that happen."
Colleges need accreditation to accept federal financial aid,
offer courses with transferable credit, participate in league sports and award
diplomas. Without accreditation, many schools would shut down for lack of
students.
Compounding the problem for California colleges are
increased academic expectations set by the federal government, which tells
accrediting commissions what to look for when they judge schools. The sticking
point for some is a federal requirement that accredited schools demonstrate
"learning outcomes."
In other words: It's not enough for a college to show what
it teaches. It must also show what students learn.
The tougher academic standards were put in place just before
the recession prompted California to start cutting funding to its community
colleges. State funding has dropped 12 percent over the last three years, said
Jack Scott, chancellor of California's community college system. It will fall
another 7 percent, he said, if voters reject the tax hikes in Proposition 30 on
the November ballot.
Together, the academic and financial pressures have created
a one-two punch for California schools trying to renew their accreditation.
The three colleges facing the most severe sanctions -- City
College of San Francisco, College of the Redwoods and Cuesta College -- are
considered fully accredited while they go through a one- to two-year process to
correct their problems.
Concerns
Accreditors detailed the following concerns for each school:
San Francisco City College: Deficit spending; too much of budget goes to salaries and benefits; too few administrators for size of school; failure to conduct financial audits.
"The Commission is concerned about the institution's ability to successfully adapt to the changing resource environment facing public community colleges," says its letter to the school.
College of the Redwoods (Eureka): Student records not securely stored; deficient professional development and employee evaluation systems; lack of documentation about student learning outcomes in course syllabi and other publications.
The school "has not demonstrated consistent and reliable compliance with Accreditation Standards," the commission wrote.
Cuesta College (San Luis Obispo): Lack of planning and evaluation in technology infrastructure and student learning.
Accreditors detailed the following concerns for each school:
San Francisco City College: Deficit spending; too much of budget goes to salaries and benefits; too few administrators for size of school; failure to conduct financial audits.
"The Commission is concerned about the institution's ability to successfully adapt to the changing resource environment facing public community colleges," says its letter to the school.
College of the Redwoods (Eureka): Student records not securely stored; deficient professional development and employee evaluation systems; lack of documentation about student learning outcomes in course syllabi and other publications.
The school "has not demonstrated consistent and reliable compliance with Accreditation Standards," the commission wrote.
Cuesta College (San Luis Obispo): Lack of planning and evaluation in technology infrastructure and student learning.
Posted: 08/16/2012
06:29:51 AM PDT
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