Citrus College leads the way in new accreditation process
Citrus College will be one of three community colleges undergoing a new pilot accreditation process, which will be facilitated by the Accrediting Commission for Community Colleges and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).
The pilot program introduces a number of major changes from ACCJC's previous modes of evaluation. Two of the improvements involve the use of "lines of inquiry" and the length of time for a campus visit by the ACCJC visiting team.
In January 2021, Citrus College will submit the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustee's approved institutional self-evaluation report to ACCJC for review. The commission will forward the report to the visiting team, who will meet off-site to discuss the report and develop lines of inquiry regarding any items needing further clarification.
The lines of inquiry will be sent to the college superintendent/president for dissemination to the Citrus College accreditation self-evaluation team to review and respond to prior to a one-day visit in the fall. The visiting team will be comprised of a chairperson, those who identified the lines of inquiry and a vice president from the commission.
"I am optimistic about the new process and proud that Citrus College was selected to participate in this pilot program," said Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Arvid Spor. "In the past, colleges were not given the opportunity to address potential issues, which could have resulted in sanctions. The new method of presenting lines of inquiry will improve communication between Citrus College and ACCJC and make the entire process more productive."
According to timelines in place, Citrus College will begin the new accreditation process in January 2019 and conclude in 2022. Santa Barbara City College and Southwestern College in Chula Vista will join Citrus College in the pilot program.
This article originally appeared in the December 2018 edition of the Citrus View.