ACCREDITATION UPDATE:
PREPARING FOR THE OCTOBER 2014 VISIT
What is Accreditation:
“Accreditation is a system of self regulation developed by higher
education institutions to evaluate overall institutional quality and
encourage continual improvement. Colleges and universities form
membership associations to set up an accrediting agency and work with
that agency to establish the quality standards used to rigorously evaluate
the institutions. Accreditation Standards represent the best practices in
higher education and set a high expectation for quality.”
The Accreditation Process
There are four phases to the accreditation process:
• Internal evaluation
• External evaluation by professional peers
• Commission evaluation
• Institutional self-improvement to meet evolving regional and federal
standards.
Every 7 years (a recent change from the previous 6 year cycle) ACCJC
members have agreed to undergo the comprehensive process to determine
whether they are meeting their established Accreditation Standards.
CCC’s Upcoming Site Visit
On October 6-9, 2014, CCC will host an External Evaluation Team
comprised of professional peers from a cross-section of community college
constituencies, who volunteer their time and provide independent insights
based on both the written Institutional Self Evaluation Report and their
interactions and observations during the campus visit. The Team chair is
selected based on expertise and accreditation experience. Additional team
members are drawn from a roster of experienced educators who have
exhibited leadership and balanced judgment; and typically includes several
faculty members, academic and student services administrators, a chief
executive officer, a trustee, a business officer, and individuals with
expertise/experience in learning resources, distance education, and/or
planning, research and evaluation.
Roster of the External Evaluation Team for Contra Costa College
Ms. Sylvia Thomas, Team Chair
Associate Vice Chancellor
Educational Services
Riverside Community College
Dr. Angela Fairchilds
President
Columbia College
Ms. Cheryl Stewart
Librarian
Coastline Community College
Ms. Naomi Foley, Team Assistant
Instructional Support Coordinator
Riverside Community College
Mr. Mark Greenhalgh
Dean of Mathematics & Computer
Science; Acting Dean of Natural Sciences
Fullerton College
Mr. Mark Yeager
Professor Chemistry
Mira Costa College
Dr. Lisa Allen
Professor Art History
Irvine Valley College
Ms. Carol Hilton
Vice President for Administrative Services
Saddleback College
Ms. Della Anderson
Director, Planning, Policy & Assessment
Leeward Community College
Mr. Robert Lee
Instructor, Writing Center Coordinator
Pasadena City College
Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay
Executive Vice President Education
Programs & Student Services
Cypress College
Ms. Fran Leonard
Professor of English
West Los Angeles College
Ms. Mary Dominguez
Dean of Student Affairs
Hartnell College
Mr. John Means
Associate Chancellor Economic &
Workforce Development
Kern Community College District
The visit to the District Office will be led by Dr. Adriana Barrera, Lead Team Chair, and will occur prior to the
beginning of the visit to CCC. Dr. Barrera is from Los Angeles Community College District.
Dialogue with External Evaluation Team members will include both
structured conversations---such as Open Forums, classroom visits,
individual interviews, or meetings---and informal conversations with
members of the campus community.
Among the primary responsibilities of the External Evaluation Team are:
1) Assess the Institutional Self Evaluation Report, and clarify any questions;
2) Confirm that institutional practices are aligned with the Accreditation
Standards;
3) Identify potential areas for improved compliance;
4) Assure the Commission that the College continues to meet eligibility
requirements; that the institution has been responsive to the
recommendations of the previous visiting teams; and that the College has
developed sound evaluation and planning procedures to foster
improvement of student achievement and student learning outcomes;

5) Reinforce and extend the College’s commitment to its continuing pursuit of
excellence; and
6) Write an evaluative report with recommendations for improvement.
Although, an institution may meet all Accreditation Standards, continuous
improvement remains a key goal of the accreditation process.
Questions that the accreditation external evaluation team may ask of us
are likely to include:
• What is the college Mission-Vision-Values? How do they affect what you
do?
• What is the student learning experience at CCC?
• What goals do you have for your students and how do you know they are
achieving them?
• What part have you played in assessment?
• How do decisions get made at CCC? What avenues do you have to
participate in decision-making?
• Where do you find information about college plans and achievements?
• Do you have the resources and support you need to do your job?
• Is CCC a place where all students and employees are treated equitably and
with respect?
Upon completion of the visit, the team will submit their report to the ACCJC.
The College should receive the results from the ACCJC in February 2015.
The Contra Costa College Accreditation website provides an overview of the
accreditation process. You’ll find the 2014 Self Evaluation Report of
Educational Quality and Institutional Effectiveness (with hyperlinks of the
references and evidence), bios and pictures of the External Evaluation Team,
and past reports and other accreditation related information. The
Accreditation website link is:
http://www.contracosta.edu/home/about/accreditation/
For more information on the ACCJC and accreditation process go to:
www.accjc.org