For the first time in its 72-year history, Sierra Joint Community College District has been warned to fix planning, evaluation and governance issues within two years, or lose accreditation.
The 20,000-student college is scheduled Oct. 15 to submit a progress report to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
In January, the commission issued a warning to Sierra College to correct several deficiencies, said college spokeswoman Sue Michaels. The warning does not affect the college's current accreditation status.
"The good news is that we have been working very diligently on the action items that have been recommended to us," Michaels said. "We are very confident that by the mid-October deadline we will have made sufficient progress toward their recommendations."
Sierra College has not met the commission's standards regarding integrated planning, governing board evaluation, resource allocation and student learning outcomes, according to a letter from the commission dated Jan. 31.
Sierra College has four campuses serving 3,200 square miles in Placer, Nevada and parts of El Dorado and Sacramento counties. The college offers 125 degree and certificate programs, according to the Sierra College Web site, sierracollege.edu.
Jack Pond, vice president of team operations for the accrediting commission, said Sierra College is among an increased number of colleges in the state to be warned or placed on probation by his organization as part of a crackdown. He said the federal Department of Education has been pressuring for greater accountability in higher education.
"We have given (colleges) recommendations to correct issues for a number of years," Pond said. "They got a warning because they haven't fixed the problems."
Obtaining accreditation is voluntary for colleges.
The status is intended to assure the quality of an institution and encourage improvement.
Many educational institutions recognize transfer credits only from regionally accredited institutions, according to the accrediting commission.
Sierra College president Leo Chavez said in a press release, "The commission's report serves as an impetus to speed up our efforts and prioritize our areas of focus."
The following area colleges had their accreditation reaffirmed and midterm report accepted: American River College, Cosumnes River College, Folsom Lake College and Sacramento City College.
The Bee's Lakiesha McGhee can be reached at (916) 773-7630.
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