Administration reports progress at Accreditation forum

Faculty, staff and students gathered on Wednesday, May 13, in the Wray Theatre to receive the latest update on accreditation and the steps currently being taken to respond to the Accrediting Team.

Dr. Martinez led the discussion and assured the audience that the Administration is working really hard to move forward in a positive way.

Last fall the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) reviewed the institutional Self Study report of the evaluation of Rio and issued a "Warning" (the accredited status of institution continues during the warning period). The college is required to complete a follow up report on the steps taken to correct the recommendations noted.

Martinez told described the "community initiative" that has taken place this semester. One of these initiatives includes the open forum.

The college has taken positive and collaborative steps to assure that the college remains accredited. Rio's Planning Fiscal Council has formed Accreditation Response Teams to fulfill the recommendations posed by WASC by October 15, 2009 in a "Follow Up Report".

Rio must prove in this report that it has taken the steps necessary to correct the "deficiencies".

Recommendation One: "Institutional Effectiveness and Planning", lead by Howard Kumerman, is making great progress, and providing appropriate evidence of the entire process from beginning and how the processes are being develop and implemented.

Recommendation Two: "Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)" was posed by the team because it claimed that the process was still at the developmental level. Matt Koutroulis, chair of the team, has presented timelines that have been devised as of December and incorporate the SLO's with the Planning Process.

Recommendation Three: "Student Support Services" has already been completed and will reflect in the upcoming college catalogue by providing the Rio Hondo College website in the front cover.

Recommendation Four: "Human Resources" have presented the Code of Ethics to the Planning Fiscal Council and is currently under revision in the council.

Recommendation Five and Six: "Leadership and Governance" is moving full force and has recently presented a Governance Manual.

The Accreditation Response Teams are moving at full force and confident that the College is providing the nesccary actions and response to Rio's self study report.

Any student searching for answers to questions, in regards to Accreditation, can easily access this information from home or on campus through the Rio Hondo College website (http://www.riohondo.edu)