Summer 2016--Gearing Up for our Midterm Report
- The Accreditation Oversight Committee is getting ready to engage the whole college community in the preparation of our Midterm Report due October 2017. We will be responding to four recommendations issued by the Commission January 2015. In so doing, we will also update the self-identified Actionable Improvement Plans found in our
Self-Evaluation Report of Educational Quality and Institutional Effectiveness.
Recommendation 1
- In order to meet the Standards, the team recommends that the College institutionalize a process with identified responsibility that ensures the integration, assessment, analysis and use of assessment results, and documented dialogue of learning outcomes. Learning outcomes include course learning outcomes, program learning outcomes, student services outcomes, administrative unit outcomes, and institutional learning outcomes.
Recommendation 2
- In order to meet the Standards, the team recommends that the College establish, implement, and document a regular cycle of evaluation to include effectiveness of planning processes, training, decision-making, communication, resource allocation, and governance practices.
Recommendation 3
- In order to meet the Standards, the team recommends the College make public all student learning outcomes for programs, certificates, and degrees, and ensure and document the regular cycle of assessment of all courses and programs in support of continuous quality improvement.
Recommendation 4
- In order to increase effectiveness, the team recommends that the College increase research capacity and data analysis to support decision-making and integrated planning.
May 2016-Great News!
- ACOTE has reaffirmed full accreditation for the SAC Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.
This is extremely important not only for our AS degree but for the new pathway to our Baccalaureate degree in Occupational Studies. Congratulations to Michelle Parolise and the faculty and students in the OTA program!
FW_ ACOTE Action on Annual Report.pdf
July 2015-Accreditation Resources Available
- The new ACCJC Handbooks--Accreditation Reference Handbook and The Guide to Evaluating & Improving Institutions-- are available at:
- http://www.accjc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Accreditation_Reference_Handbook_July_2016.pdf
- http://www.accjc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Guide_to_Evaluating_and_Improving_Institutions_July_2015_REVISED.pdf
- Checklist for Evaluating Compliance with Federal Regulations and Related Commission Policies is also available:
- http://www.accjc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Checklist_for_Evaluating_Compliance_with_Fed_Regs__Commission_Policies_July_2015.pdf
February 2015: Santa Ana College is REAFFIRMED for Accreditation
- President Erlinda Martinez received news from the Commission that Santa Ana College was Reaffirmed for
Accreditation and made an announcement to the College community at the end of the Centennial Launch.
- The college will respond to three recommendations in a Follow Up Report due October 15, 2015 and to all four recommendations in a Midterm Report due October 2017.
January 2015: President Martinez Presents to ACCJC at January 7, 2015 Meeting
- President Erlinda Martinez gave testimony on behalf of Santa Ana College at the public session of the January 7, 2015
meeting of ACCJC.
- The Commission will issue its determination of the College's accreditation status shortly.
- President Martinez's comments are based on the attached letter, which had been sent to the Commission prior.
SAC_Response-to-ACCJC_01-07-15
Fall 2014: External Evaluation Site Visit October 6-9, 2014
- Under the leadership of President Martinez, and with input from all constituency groups and students, SAC has completed its Self Evaluation Report (ISER) to be submitted to the Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).
- A comprehensive external evaluation will take place October 6-9, 2014
- SAC will be receiving 12 colleagues from the Western Region--as far as Guam.
- Team chair, Jill Stearns, President of Modesto Junior College, and her Assistant Dr. Al Alt, will be joined by 11 other colleagues including faculty, administration, and a governing board member. They are coming to certify to the public, four-year institutions, and the business community that Santa Ana College is an institution of educational excellence and integrity that meets both the standards set by ACCJC and the regulations of the US Department of Education.
- The team visit is a time for the college community to demonstrate strong points, but also to show that we have conducted an honorable assessment of all programs and services and will continue to hold student success and achievement as our highest goal.
- To that end, we will continue to systematically plan and improve at every level.
October 2014-External Evaluation Site Visit
- I join President Martinez in thanking EVERYONE for your participation in the SAC External Evaluation Team Visit October 6-9, 2014 and for all the preparation that preceded it!
- President Martinez sent out
Notes from the President
every day of the site visit with highlights and pictures. If you missed these or wish to see them again, please see
http://www.sac.edu/President/Pages/Notes-from-the-president.aspx.
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Particularly noteworthy is the final issue, as there is a summary of the unofficial commendations and recommendations of the team presented by the team chair, President Jill Stearns of Modesto Junior College.
- We are very proud of the college's commendations and have already begun work on the recommendations, as they are closely tied to our own internal Actionable Improvement Plans.
- The team gave these commendations and recommendations after thoughtful and thorough review of the Self Evaluation Report, evidentiary documents, and the websites; and after conducting multiple interviews over the course of the week.
- We thank them as well for the intense work they did. Keep in mind, however, that only ACCJC, at the meeting of Commissioners, can
issue the final dispensation of accreditation status and issue the formal commendations and recommendations.
- This meeting will occur on the January 15, 2015 meeting of the Commission, and then a detailed report will be sent to the President of the college.
- Please continue to watch the
Notes from the President and ALO updates, as the formal recommendations, in conjunction with our already-existing Status Report on Actionable Improvement Plans, will be posted.
Fall 2014: Update on Structure of New Standards
Not only have the Standards changed, as indicated earlier, the Structure of the Report has changed as well.
The evaluation of the Standards part of the report has new sections: Evidence Meeting the Standards; Analysis and Evaluation (i.e., whether or not, and to what degree the evidentiary documents demonstrate that the institution meets each Standard and how the institution reached the conclusion.)
Actionable Improvement Plans do not need to be included, and the Descriptive Summary section has been substituted by the "Evidence of Meeting the Standard" section.
THE BIGGEST CHANGE is the inclusion of a quality focus essay that colleges must produce. Key elements include: 1. A 5000-word limit; 2. Related to the Standards; 3. Coverage of two or three areas the college has identified for further study, improvement, and enhancement of academic quality, institutional effectiveness, and excellence.
The new ACCJC
Checklist for Compliance with Accreditation Policies and Federal Regulations is recommended to be included as a separate section of the Self Evaluation Report.
Checklist_for_Evaluating_Compliance_with_Federal_Regulations_and_Commission_Policies.pdf
This will all go into effect spring 2016. The new Guide for Evaluating Institutions will be ready by the end of 2014, in December.
I would like to thank Robert Pacheco of Mira Costa College for forwarding this information to colleagues around the state.
More to come...
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Summer 2014: ACCJC News Update
At the June 2014 meeting of the Commission, new revised Standards were approved. The new Standards will be the basis for comprehensive institutional evaluations for reaffirmation of accreditation beginning spring 2016. In addition, the new Standards may be used by institutions wishing to develop a baccalaureate degree. Another significant change is that ACCJC will adopt an accreditation cycle of seven (7) years beginning with the institutions undergoing review in 2016.
So...what are the
significant changes in the Standards?
Standard I Now organized into three sections:
Mission (expanded, reflecting the foundational role mission plays in defining a college);
Assuring Academic Quality and Institutional Effectiveness (Academic Quality singled out as a subsection and contains expectations for defining and assessing student performance and completion outcomes);
Institutional Integrity (now a separate section, containing existing standards previously in other sections, and new sections for integrity and honesty in actions, communications and policies)
Standard II
Instructional Programs (delineates responsibilities and expectations for assuring academic quality, and sets expectations for degree requirements, including general education);
Library and Learning Resources (assures that aspects from the Standards in the two other sections of Standard II will also pertain to library and learning resources and services);
Student Support (defines expectations affecting co-curricular programs and athletics, and defines expectations for academic advising and student pathways to completion)
Standard III
Still four sections:
Human Resources (expectations defined for qualifications for all personnel who have responsibility for academic quality); Physical Resources; Technology Resources; Financial Resources
Standard IVNow
organized into four sections:
All sections define specific expectations for delineation of roles and responsibilities in leadership and governance.
Decision-Making Roles and Processes;
Chief Executive Officer;
Governing Board; Multi-College Districts or Systems (defines specific expectations for the functional relationship between a district or system and a college)
More information to come... To read the ACCJC Newsletters in their entirety, please see
www.accjc.org and click "Newsletter." Also, the July 2014 edition of the Accreditation Reference Handbook contains all the Standards with all updates. To access this handbook and all ACCJC publications, please go to
http://www.accjc.org/all-commission-publications-policies.
Merci beaucoup!
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