Sol Rapoport
After more than a year of preparation that involved hundreds of faculty, staff and students and an intensive three-day visit by a group of colleagues, Pierce College was given a positive evaluation by a visiting accreditation team.
The study was performed by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) team under the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which visited Pierce during the week of March 19.
Pierce is required to carry out an extensive self-study every six years that results in quality assurance to the public and sustains the college’s academic standards for accreditation. The visiting team evaluates and confirms the college’s findings.
“Overall, this outcome was the best I’ve seen in 30 years of experience with the accreditation process,” Pierce President Robert Garber wrote in a campus-wide e-mail.
The ACCJC states on its Web site that it evaluates colleges on “the utilization of resources, procedures and intended outcomes” and provides public assurances of integrity and quality.
Upon completion of each college’s self-study, the team conducts its own week-long review on four main standards: institutional mission and effectiveness; student learning programs and services; resources; and leadership and governance.
According to Garber, “The purpose of the accreditation visit is to validate our achievements and suggest recommendations in areas where we can improve.”
The closing session of the accreditation visit took place in the Campus Center on March 22 from 1 to 2 p.m. and included an oral report on the team’s findings. During this session, Terrence J. Burgess, the chair of the accreditation team, shared observations and summarized commendations and recommendations for the college.
The 11-member team, comprised of instructors, administrators and a trustee from colleges throughout California, gave Pierce a generally positive assessment regarding the performance of the college in all areas.
Focusing on the 20 commendations for excellence the college received, Burgess enumerated 147 different measures Pierce was evaluated on.
“The team concluded that the college is substantially in compliance with all the standards,” said Burgess.
Among the more striking comments made by Burgess was a reference to the “intangible joy” of working at Pierce they observed during their interactions with faculty and staff.
Pierce received 10 recommendations, five of which were aimed squarely at the district. Among them was a reminder that “the district’s stated purpose is to provide services to, rather than control, the colleges.”
The remaining five recommendations related to planning, student learning outcomes and technology and were consistent with goals and objectives identified in Pierce’s self-study as future agenda items.
The accreditation team also noted that Pierce makes excellent use of its inventory of aging buildings, equipment and facilities.
While commending the college for articulating a unified vision for student learning outcomes, the team found that there was “an incomplete link between planning, budget and execution due to constant change in administrative staff positions.”
The team also had concerns about a number of technology issues on campus, pointing out that a visit to the Counseling Department’s Web site indicated that many programs were not functional online. However, they did note that the Information Technology department was challenged with a small number of support staff members.
Burgess explained that his presentation included a summary and “preliminary substantive findings,” but that the final, written report would not be available until after the commission’s approval in January of next year.
The week began for the team with a visit to the Los Angeles Community College District’s office in downtown Los Angeles and followed with a comprehensive site visit of the Pierce campus during the remaining days. During the week-long visit, there were three occasions for any member of the campus community to speak with the team.
The accreditation team also visited offices and classrooms and met with key members of Pierce’s administration. Acknowledging the contributions of the campus community, Burgess thanked the audience for their participation.
“We are aware of the literally hundreds of people who worked together to prepare for this visit,” he said.
“And the faculty was extremely accommodating in providing the team access to classroom observations.”
Greg Gilbertson, Pierce’s accreditation chair, was given special recognition by the team for the “countless hours he worked before and during the visit.”
Garber expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the accreditation visit in a short speech following the presentation made by Burgess.
“It’s as close to a perfect report as you can get,” said Garber.
“They really sense what people here feel about the college and their willingness to collaborate.”