When we talk about higher education, very seldom do we talk about accreditation unless an institution is in some accreditation trouble. What does it mean to be an accredited institution? Here’s the short answer: An accredited institution that has been evaluated through a transparent peer review process means that the institution meets the quality standards set by an approved accreditor, giving students confidence that they are attending an institution that’s reputable and trustworthy.
College of Redwood’s accreditation process has, at times, been challenging. However, we have worked extremely hard over the past several years to demonstrate to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) and the public that College of the Redwoods meets or exceeds accreditation criteria of education quality and is continuously improving as an institution. Even with challenges, we have maintained our accreditation since 1967. Now, following a six-year cycle, we are in the process of preparing for our comprehensive accreditation reaffirmation. Part of the comprehensive review process is the development of an Institutional Self Evaluation Report (ISER).
What is an ISER? Institutions use the ISER development process to assess themselves in relation to the eligibility requirements, accreditation standards, and other commission policies. We are directed to look at the quality of our programs and services, our effectiveness in supporting student success, and the degree to which we meet our own institution-set standards.
The College spent countless hours reflecting on the extent to which we have designed and implemented an ongoing and systematic cycle of evaluation and reevaluation, how well we have linked integrated planning and resource allocation to our mission and strategic values, how we’ve considered our programs and services while paying particular attention to program review and achievement of student learning outcomes, and how we have prepared and implemented institutional plans for improvement supported by adequate sources of data and other evidence.
I am pleased to share that CR’s Board of Trustees approved our ISER for submission to the ACCJC on Dec. 12. We could not have reached this momentous milestone if not for the tremendous work of our Accreditation Oversight Committee. I want to publicly thank AOC members for committing their time and energy to our accreditation efforts: Sean Thomas, Peter Blakemore, Kerry Mayer, Crytal Morse, Julie Gilbride, Molly Blakemore, Nicole Bryant Lescher, Amber Buntin, Leigh Dooley, Mike Haley, Rory Johnson, Philip Mancus, Amy Moffat, Abigail Queen, Austin Roberts, Augusta Solem, Tami Engman, Colin Trujillo, and Rachel Warze.
I believe that our ISER is a testament to the hard work of trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff — as well as their outstanding competence and commitment to excellence. I am confident that the answer to the question, “Do we meet the standard?” is an emphatic “yes.”
After we submit our ISER to the ACCJC, the next step will be to have an evaluation team comprised of peers from other community colleges review our ISER and visit the district. District employees and students as well as the general public can submit third-party comments to ACCJC at any time. Anyone interested in making such a comment can visit the college’s Accreditation Homepage on our website where they will find a link that will take them directly to an online form housed in the ACCJC’s website. To ensure evaluation by the 2024 external peer evaluation team, third-party comments must be received no later than five weeks before the evaluation team visit, which will be in fall of 2024.
Any written comments must be signed and include:
• Name of the third party
• Phone number
• Return address
• Date of the letter
• Name of the institution
• Affiliation with or relationship to the Institution
• Comment on quality, effectiveness, etc.
• Evidence un which you base your comment
Comments can be mailed to:
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Western Association of Schools and Colleges, 428 J Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814
Comments can also be submitted online at ACCJC online via the third party comment form at https://accjc.org/forms/third-party-comments/.
Dr. Keith Flamer is the president of the College of the Redwoods.
