Empowering Faculty through Accreditation: The Role & Future

1. Reclaiming our Profession & Our Students The Faculty’s Role in AccreditationGREG GILBERT

2. Session Description • Session III Workshops  8:30am – 11:30am • (3I) Empowering Faculty through the Accreditation Process • For all attendees.  The regional accreditation process has had a significant impact on colleges and universities for the past century.  This workshop will provide a brief history of accreditation in the U. S. and will describe the process which precedes and follows an accreditation site visit.  A major focus will be placed upon the role of faculty in the accreditation process.  The workshop will also examine methods to encourage faculty to participate in this process with particular emphasis on the California Community College system and will conclude with a discussion of two case studies.

3. Once upon a time . . . • NOT SO VERY LONG AGO . . . The world of higher education was shaped by the professoriate. Are those days gone forever?

4. The declining authority of faculty within academe • Today, of 133 regional accreditation commissioners, nation-wide, only 10 are designated as faculty, 18-20 if you count California’s regional accreditors. Nationally, tenure levels have dropped to about 30 percent. The lack of a faculty presence in regional accrediting when combined with our declining tenure rates suggest that the faculty’s ability to represent the decisions being made within its own profession is in a dramatic downward spiral.

5. Texas Messes with Education • During George W. Bush’s Presidency, Texas businessman Charles Miller, designer of No Child Left Behind, worked with Education Secretary Margaret Spellings on her Future of Education Commission and produced copious documents alleging that because of academic freedom and adherence to local missions, universities had fostered a decline in institutional accountability and public oversight. Furthermore, the Spellings Commission asserted that tenure had become a costly, inflexible system dedicated to the protection of job security. Had the Bush/Miller/Spellings vision of market-driven accountability and a federalized system of higher education prevailed, colleges and universities would have been reduced to legions of untenured faculty, and a proliferation of bright line indicators would be leading directly to Washington DC.

6. ME! GREG GILBERT 1987-1995: Full-Time English Lecturer California State University, San Bernardino • Coordinated Basic Writing • Holistic Grading; Portfolio Assessment (authentic assessment) • Faculty Advisor Graduate English Journal • Graduate TA Program Coordinator • Lecturer Rep to Academic Senate • University Coordinator Weekend Institute for the Inland Area Writing Project 1995-Present: English Professor Copper Mountain College, Joshua Tree, CA • 1996-1999: Stepping Stones Language Arts Portfolio (K-14) & 12 PQRs • 1995-Present: Foundation Board; Third Term as Executive Committee Member (Secretary) • 2001-06; 4 terms as Academic Senate President • 2008-11: Division Chair, Communication & Fine Arts • 2008-11: Student Learning Outcomes Coordinator 2000-2004: Member Morongo Unified School District Board (1 term as Board President) 2003-2007: Executive Committee, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges • Secretary • Chair: Curriculum; Accreditation; Ed Policies; Standards & Practices; Research; Resolutions • Institutes: Curriculum 2005; Accreditation 2007 • Papers: 15 Senate papers, including several on outcomes based accountability 2006-2013: Member AAUP National Committee on Accreditation

7. The Story • Synopsis: Against a backdrop of competing ideologies and powerful interests, a small, rural community college struggles to define itself and chart its own course. • Cast of Players: • Founders and Other Idealists • Federalization and Money • Accreditation • The Chancellor & the California System • Faculty and Extras (Administrators, Trustees)

8. 54.08 Miles; 1 Hour, 3 Minutes 1968-1983

9. “Building the Future” • Founders and Other Idealists

10. Home Grown • Recognized by President Reagan in 1984 as the "Community College Built By The Community," CMC's initial construction was built entirely by local, private funds solicited by the Foundation, then known as the Friends of CMC.

11. The Little College that Could (Pictured at left receiving the "President's Volunteer Action Award" areHoward Van Elgort and Kay Vilott, 1984)

12. Copper Roofs A College Grows Out of the Desert Copper Roofs New Multi-Use Building

13. Accredited Under the Old Standards(1999/2000) • (1) Mission and Purposes, • (2) Institutional Integrity, • (3) Educational Programs, • (4) Student Support Services, • (5) Information and Learning Resources, • (6) Faculty and Staff, • (7) Financial Resources, • (8) Physical Resources, • (9) Governance and Administration, and • (10) Institutional Effectiveness.  

14. Me Again • K-12 Program Quality Reviews (12 PQRs) • Stepping Stones Portfolio System (200 + teachers agree that assessment is good and accept the plan) • The state and feds offer resources and encouragement to help teachers build their own local measures • No Child Left Behind (NCLB) • Morongo Unified School Board (a board united in opposition to NCLB, but then there was the matter of declining enrollments)

15. The Academic Senate Visits CMC “You are POWERFUL” • Assembly Bill 1725 • In 1989 AB 1725 was signed by the Governor and moved the colleges away from their K–12 roots, raised minimum qualifications for faculty, extended probation for new faculty members from two to four years, strengthened faculty evaluation through mandated peer review, and established expectations and funding streams for faculty professional development and curricular innovation.

16. Ten-Plus-One • Academic and professional matters: • 1.   Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites. •  2.   Degree and certificate requirements. •  3.   Grading policies. •  4.   Educational program development. •  5.   Standards or policies regarding student preparation and success. •  6.   College governance structures, as related to faculty roles. •  7.   Faculty roles and involvement in accreditation processes. • 8.   Policies for faculty professional development activities. •  9.   Processes for program review. •  10.  Processes for institutional planning and budget development. • 11.  Other academic and professional matters as mutually agreed upon.

17. Minimum Conditions, as established by Title V of the California Code of Regulations and the Education Code: • 75/25: • In section 35 of AB 1725 the Legislature provided a strong requirement to increase the ratio of full-time to adjunct faculty in community colleges to 75 percent of the hours of credit instruction. • Fifty Percent Law: • A statute that affects the fiscal operation of California community colleges. The Fifty Percent Law (Education Code 84362) requires "there shall be expended each fiscal year for payment of salaries of classroom instructors by a community college district, 50 percent of the district's current expense of education."

18. The Education Code and Title 5 specify the following: 1. The academic senate HAS PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY for making recommendations in the area of curriculum and academic standards [Ed. Code '70902(b)(7)]. This right is protected as a minimum standard set by the Board of Governors [Ed. Code '70901(b)(1)(E)]. 2. The local governing board has the responsibility to establish policies for and approve courses of instruction and educational programs [Ed. Code '70902(b)(2)]. 3. Title 5 §55002(a)(1) requires that the curriculum committee contain faculty.

19. Flash Forward to 2002 • The State Academic Senate • The 2002 Standards change from affirming that a college has the necessary resources to fulfill its mission to evaluating its ongoing success at fulfilling its mission. (Sound Red Alert!) • I ran for office and joined the opposition

20. ACCJC from 10 Standards to 4 • Standard I: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness • Standard II: Student Learning Programs and Services • Standard III: Resources • Standard IV: Leadership and Governance • Between 2003 and 2008 the ACCJC placed 41 (or 37 percent) of California’s community colleges on ‘sanction.”

21. Meanwhile, Back at the College, – or –The Faculty Begin a Rite of Passage In terms of minimum standards, we were 39/61 on the 75/25 and at 38 percent on the Fifty Percent Law. We didn’t have the resources to teach online, and we had too few faculty to do the job of governance.

22. And Then There Were Best Practices Pre-Senate Meetings Senate White Papers (20 of 24 FT facutly participated) • Define Student Success • Every student passes every class with a grade of “C” or better. • Determine whom we serve and what their needs are. • Create a college-wide matrix that aligns all services, students, and the four accreditation standards. • advising • distance education & courses in abbreviated time frames • participatory governance • student success • minimum standards • critical thinking • Fifty Percent Law (65% of new money dedicated toward achieving parity)

23. Our Mission • Our mission is to provide access to educational opportunities for diverse desert communities through a comprehensive curriculum and a passion for the success of every individual student.

24. Matrix (Diverse Communities) • Standard I: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness • Standard II: Student Learning Programs and Services • Standard III: Resources • Standard IV: Leadership and Governance

25. Matrix (Comprehensive Education) • Standard I: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness • Standard II: Student Learning Programs and Services • Standard III: Resources • Standard IV: Leadership and Governance

26. Matrix (Student Success) • Standard I: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness • Standard II: Student Learning Programs and Services • Standard III: Resources • Standard IV: Leadership and Governance

27. To Recap White papers Mission Our mission is to provide access to educational opportunities for diverse desert communities through a comprehensive curriculum and a passion for the success of every individual student. • advising • distance education & courses in abbreviated time frames • participatory governance • student success • minimum standards • critical thinking • 50% Law parity • Mission/Vision Matrix • Student Success Definition

28. The NO’s Have IT! Uh-Uh, Nope, Not Gonna . . . Instead, How About . . . • No to the Matrix • No to the White Papers • No to 75/25 • No to 50% • No to DE Training • No to Reasonable Class Caps • taking a “couple of dings” on accreditation? • If we hire a consultant? • But then a student stepped forward . . .

29. And then We Took a Giant Step Forward • Filed to Appeal the College’s 50% Exemption • Challenged small rural entitlement • We met with the visiting team And we had documentation

30. Say it Ain’t So We Were Granted 5 Years of Accreditation with a Mid-Term Report and 7 Recommendations It just didn’t add up ● Employ the WASC planning cycle; ● Improve our communication both internally and externally; ● Improve campus culture and climate; ● Evaluate and strengthen resource development; ● Expand opportunities to increase leadership and participatory governance processes. • We were NOT in Compliance. It was that simple. WHY 5 YEARS? • Strategic Plan and Educational Master Plan • A New Enterprise Reporting System • A College-wide structure for ongoing • systematic review of all programs

31. We Persisted • Attended the 2008 Accreditation Institute and spoke directly with the President of the ACCJC • Learned about the 2 year rule (comply with all recommendations within two years or lose accreditation

32. Barbara Beno Visits CMC WARNING!

33. The Bigger Dog • Fifty Percent Law Ruled in Favor of Faculty: • Faculty earn money doing program review and accreditation work • The Automatic Rural College Exemption is Over, Statewide • Warning Prompts Reprioritization of Goals: • Program reviews combine with data to create new budget and resource considerations

34. Accreditation: The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) calls for a full-time faculty complement in its Eligibility Standards “sufficient in size and experience to support all of the institution’s educational programs. A clear statement of faculty responsibilities must include development and review of curriculum as well as assessment of learning. Standard 3.A.2 says that “The institution maintains a sufficient number of qualified faculty with full-time responsibility to the institution.”

35. The Faculty Stepped Forward AgainBetween August and December 2007 • Established a Blackboard template for minutes and documents • Core Competencies (college-wide) • Program review templates • Timelines • Arranged for data collections • Moved ALL calendars, processes, and templates through participatory governance • Adopted an annual PR cycle • Accreditation training from Senate • Conducted in-house training of administrators

36. Results as of June 2010 • Warning lifted; accreditation reinstated • Twice as many full-time, TT Faculty • A functioning, data-driven, faculty led annual program review cycle in synch with the college budgeting process • 42 Program Reviews conducted annually • A new administration team • Annual compliance with 50% • An improved climate • A new enterprise system

37. Concerns: • Collegial peer review is caught between an aggressive federal bureaucracy and a professoriate that is not that into accountability • Without energized, active, determined faculty participation in accreditation, peer review will likely be done away with all together or become a tool of the federal government and big business.

38. Federalization and Money The National Education Budget in 2007 .97 Trillion Dollars in 2007

39. The Best Education that Money Can Buy • In Washington’s halls of power, lobbyists spent $3.49 billion in 2009, the equivalent of a senior professor’s annual salary every two-to-three minutes that Congress was in session, and this was prior to a recent Supreme Court decision allowing lobbyist access and spending without limits. • (www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/),

40. Conclusions: • If Bush/Miller/Spellings had prevailed, the edict for higher education might be: • “What cannot be measured cannot be assessed and what cannot be assessed cannot be controlled and what cannot be controlled cannot be permitted.”

41. Implications: • We live in the Age of Information – and this means that decision making based on data and accountability in government and industry will be on the rise for the foreseeable future. The combination of computerized data collection and analysis is a formula for powerful entities to regulate industry, government, and higher education. • The future of higher education depends on who designs and establishes the uses of its data.

42. The Faculty Challenge of Our Time • United and independent, the faculty must take the initiative at reclaiming their rightful role within their profession. This is NOT merely a local concern, though it centers on service to local missions; it requires a national movement of faculty sharing information and encouraging one another in order to succeed.