For immediate release: January 22, 2015

Community College Board of Governors repeals commission’s accreditation monopoly

On January 20, 2015, the California Community College Board of Governors deleted language from Title 5 regulations that gave the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) sole authority over accreditation of the state’s community colleges.

Statement by CFT President Joshua Pechthalt:

The CFT welcomes the Board of Governors’ action this week to remove ACCJC’s monopoly over accreditation regulations. This move, following on the heels of the San Francisco Superior Court’s finding last week that the rogue accreditor broke four laws in its irresponsible decision to disaccredit City College of San Francisco, places the agency on notice that its destructive actions have consequences.

This regulatory change was recommended last year by State Auditor Elaine M. Howle, who said that, “…inconsistent application of the accreditation process and a lack of transparency in that process are weakening the accreditation of California’s community colleges.”

The ACCJC is an agency that is out of compliance and out of control. We realize that further steps will need to be taken before another entity might be able to perform the complex and important work of accreditation of California’s community colleges, but this regulatory change was a necessary prerequisite. It was past time to end the monopoly over accreditation exercised by a commission that has shown by its disregard for fairness, for law, for its own policies, and for the educational future of 80,000 students, that it cannot be trusted, and does not deserve to hold that position any longer. Chancellor Harris and the Board of Governors acted responsibly in putting this building block to accreditation reform in place.

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The CFT represents over 25,000 faculty in thirty community college districts, and 120,000 educational employees at every level of the education system, from Head Start to UC. More info: www.cft.org.