West Los Angeles College recently received notice that its accreditation has been fully reaffirmed. The good news came in a memo from Barbara A. Beno, Ph.D., president of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Western Association of Schools and Colleges “I believe the announcement reflects the continuous effort given by our faculty, staff and administrators to provide a transformative educational experience to the students we serve,” said Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, WLAC President.
Being accredited by the ACCJC means that the credits earned by students at West are transferable to the University of California and California State University campuses as well as most other universities and colleges. It also allows students to be eligible for State and Federal financial aid.
As part of the normal six-year cycle, West was visited by an accreditation assessment team in 2012. The team noted that high quality teaching and learning exist at West and listed a number of commendations in their report. They included praise for the overall campus climate, career preparation programs, the online learning program, delivery of student services, the shared governance, the grants development and partnership efforts, and college’s efforts to address achievement gaps between student populations. However, the team did have concern about some of West’s processes regarding setting and measuring goals, and documenting. These concerns resulted in a “Warning” to the college. A Warning is the most mild level of sanction issued by the ACCJC. Eight of the 25 community colleges addressed in the June 2012 ACCJC Report of Institutional Actions received a Warning. Nine received more severe sanctions.
“The accreditation team that visited us in April affirmed that West has met all eligibility criteria and commission standards related to the recommendations that the college received in 2012,” said President Abu-Ghazaleh. He added, “to remain an outstanding institution providing affordable higher education, we must be vigilant in maintaining our good practices and using data to improve student success. We will continue to learn and grow both to meet the requirements of accreditation and to improve student achievement.”
The Accrediting Commission’s letter and visiting team report on college recommendations can be found at www.WLAC.edu/accreditation
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