Community colleges in California are struggling, and at this point, it’s anybody’s guess how the problems with higher education in the state will eventually shake out. While much of the late focus on California community colleges has centered on San Francisco City College's accreditation threats, this isn’t the only school getting low marks from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. Many two-year schools around the state appear to be in trouble, although some are currently in hotter water than others. Can these schools, vital to the student population and the state's employment outlook, pull themselves out of the holes they are slowly sinking into?
Accreditation Sanctions Running Rampant
According to a report in the Sacramento Bee, numerous California community colleges across the state are in trouble with the accreditation commission. Three schools, including San Francisco City College, face the most severe “show cause” sanctions. In addition, 10 campuses have been placed on “probation” status, and another 14 have received “warning” status. All the schools have been given specific guidelines to improve their status by the subsequent accreditation evaluation; however, the three schools in the direst circumstances also have the most work to do.
“The problems colleges have run into with accreditation are abnormally acute at this point in California,” David Baime, senior vice president of the American Association of Community Colleges, told the Sacramento Bee. “The colleges in California have been subject to such savage budget reductions that it has placed institutions under a great deal of financial and administrative strain. I think that’s a big part of the issue for the colleges.”
This video reports on the accreditation status of City College of San Francisco.
Why Accreditation is Important
Schools in the state's biggest trouble face the possibility of losing their accreditation. This could be a game-changer for those community colleges since accreditation is crucial to a successful school. According to the Modesto Bee, accreditation is necessary for schools to receive federal funding and financial aid. Only accredited schools can participate in collegiate athletics programs and award diplomas to students.
Accreditation is also a requirement if credits are to transfer from one school to the next – a common practice for community college students who might begin their college career at a community college with the intent of transferring to a four-year school when their community college experience is over. Schools that lose accreditation often can no longer attract enough students to remain in business. Many of these schools have to close their doors once accreditation status is gone.
The Money Problem
The primary reason many California schools struggle with accreditation may be financial. The Fresno Bee reports that within the past four years alone, California community colleges have faced cuts of more than $800 million in state support, about 12 percent of their total funding. Schools have had to cut financial corners in numerous areas to accommodate the reductions, from reducing course offerings to laying off staff. Many have had to borrow money to stay afloat, contributing to their financial instability in the long run.
In addition, community colleges nationwide have faced an unprecedented influx of students in recent years. As schools grapple with larger student populations, they find themselves more cash-strapped. Recent high school graduates are turning to community colleges over four-year schools as a more affordable option. Displaced workers are heading to community college campuses for additional job training or to forge a new path in a leaner workforce.
Finally, community colleges are buckling under the weight of new federal guidelines that require schools to track student outcomes more carefully and find ways to improve student retention. The accreditation commission also tightened its standards in 2002, giving colleges an entire decade to align their schools with the new requirements. However, those new requirements have been tough for schools to meet, especially in light of the reduced funding and increased student populations.
“The standards went from 10 to four, but those four new standards are a lot more work than the 10 ever were,” Joan Smith, chancellor of Yosemite Community College District, told the Modesto Bee. Smith explained that each of those four standards contained 150 more standards schools must now meet, including tracking student progress and producing sound planning policies.
This video reports on the uncertain future of the City College of San Francisco.
Who’s in Deepest?
The three schools in the most trouble in California include San Francisco City College, the College of the Redwoods (Eureka), and Cuesta College (San Luis Obispo). According to Inside Higher Ed, these three schools must fix their accreditation problems promptly or risk being shut down completely. However, the publication asserts that a more likely scenario would probably be the takeover of another college in the area or the appointment of a special trustee to take over the operations of the schools. Even so, the news is bad for these three schools, which have been struggling for survival for some time.
This video gives an overview of Cuesta College.
The commission cited San Francisco City College for deficit spending and the inability to adapt to the necessary changing environment facing community colleges today. The commission called out the College of the Redwoods for insufficient storage of student records and a lack of documentation of student outcomes. Cuesta College was noted for its lack of planning and financial instability. All three of these institutions must show significant improvement throughout the next few months to keep their accreditation status – and their doors wide open to their students.
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