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March 19-22, 2017 marked a successful accreditation self-study and team visit for NOCCCD School of Continuing Education (SCE)! Nonetheless, the accreditation cycle is still in process.
The Accrediting Commission for Schools (ACS), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) visiting team shared how impressed they were by the ways in which SCE celebrates diversity, cultivates a boundless and growing presence in the community, and implements innovative practices in curriculum and student services. SCE was deemed a
courageous leader in the field of noncredit.
Based on the self-study and interactions during the visit, the visiting team identified:
Five Major Areas of Strength
- SCE employees across all constituency groups are passionate about serving students and have created an institutional culture which embraces diversity.
- The multi-faceted delivery of services to students is a model for adult education.
- Innovative use of braided funding allows SCE to offer robust programs to serve their diverse student body.
- A school-wide trust in leadership creates a climate of collaboration and risk-taking which makes SCE a courageous leader in innovative curriculum design.
- Through a dynamic synergy with its community partners, SCE is a vital and vibrant institution which provides all students that it serves with pathways to success.
Two Major Key Issues
(also known as goals)
- Goal 1: Repackage existing learning options in the form of educational pathways and create new educational pathways to increase the likelihood of completion and transition to credit programs and beyond.
- Goal 2: Align student services from various funding streams to improve student performance as measures by common indicators.
The Visiting Team recommended that SCE strengthen its Institutional Effectiveness Goal by developing a school-wide program improvement model based on data analysis and discussion, and by engaging all faculty, managers, and designated staff in integrated planning efforts.
There were two main goals that the WASC visiting team needed to review as part of the accreditation visit:
- Identify school-wide strengths and key focus issues.
- Determine SCE's rating as related to the accreditation status.
The findings for the first goal are communicated publicly. The findings for the second goal are communicated by the visiting team to the WASC Commission confidentially. Based on the self-study, the visiting team report and recommendations, the WASC Commission determines the accreditation status of an institution.
Next Steps...
Although SCE received a stellar visiting team report and validation of its numerous accomplishments, there are a few more steps left to complete the accreditation cycle:
- The SCE Action Plan will be revised to incorporate Major Key Issues identified by the visiting team. The approved Action Plan will be sent to WASC by June 1, 2017.
- The Commission will meet to determine and release SCE's accreditation status. Provost Purtell will communicate SCE's standing with staff, faculty, and students as soon as she receives the official notification from the WASC Commission.
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