Modesto Junior College on accrediting probation again

MODESTO -- For the second time in a row, Modesto Junior College has been placed on probation after its accreditation review.

The review commission found the college did not meet the standards for defining and linking the student population to programs, planning and integrating student learning outcomes, evaluating and tracking faculty performance, and — most critically — failing to provide similar services, facilities and staffing across its two campuses.

"We are going to work really hard and write a great report and address all of these issues," said Yosemite Community College District Chancellor Joan Smith. "I don't think we're on probation because we weren't doing what we need to do for students and their education. It's because the team did not get the difference between the east and west campuses."

The probationary status won't have an immediate impact on the school's 18,000 students. The college will remain accredited during the probationary period.

But if it fails to address the recommendations by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, MJC could lose eligibility for state and federal funding and students could lose the ability to transfer credits or earn degrees.

Public and private schools, colleges and universities on the West Coast are accredited every six years by the WASC to ensure that they provide a minimum level of quality educational programs, policies and procedures.

During its last review in February 2008, MJC was placed on probation. It was taken off a year later after meeting the WASC's Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges recommendations.

This time around, new MJC interim President Mary Retterer said the issues brought up by the commission are again all fixable. She said recommendations about the two campuses are more about better explaining the system to the commission.

"It's a geography issue, not a performance issue," Retterer said. "They just did not understand the two-campus system, because it is rare. We are truly not losing sleep over the probation. I think we'll come off probation just fine once the process is completed."

The commission recommended the college "resolve the issues of inadequate library staffing and support services on both campuses" and that the "facilities, hours of operation, and staffing be evaluated and modified to assure equitable student access for both campuses."

The report noted that the latter recommendation was given to the college by the two previous accreditation teams. The accreditation team last visited in October. But Smith said the current and previous teams simply haven't grasped the concept of the same college separated by two miles.

"They didn't understand the landscape of the college," Smith said. "They think MJC West needs all the same services as MJC East."

Smith said it would be impossible logistically, physically and fiscally for the college to duplicate all the facilities, services and staffing on both campuses.

The commission gave the college until March 15 to file a special report about resolving the two-campus issues. It has until Oct. 15 to file a follow-up report on resolving the remaining recommendations. Those include:

• The college must analyze community demographics and student enrollment to better define the student population. Course and program planning then should be better linked to that defined population.

• The college must integrate student learning outcome assessment results into the planning and budgeting and link it to resource allocation.