Accreditor removes PCC from sanction

Here is a message I shared with the College community earlier today regarding our status with the Higher Learning Commission, an organization that accredits community colleges, colleges and universities:

Colleagues,

I have great news. The Higher Learning Commission’s Board of Trustees has removed the College from Notice.

The College was notified in an Action Letter dated today from HLC President Barbara Gellman-Danley. [The Action Letter and accompanying Public Disclosure notification are available on our website.]

“During its meeting on February 23, 2017, the Board removed the sanction of Notice from the College. This action is effective as of the date the action was taken,” President Gellman-Danley writes. “The Board determined that the removal of the sanction was warranted based on evidence provided by the College, including the Notice Report, the report of the visiting team, the staff analysis of the sanction, and the College’s responses to these reports.”

This is wonderful news for current and prospective students. While we remained fully accredited as we sought to comply with HLC standards, removal from Notice is a crystal-clear indication to students that their school is operating and will continue to operate at a high level. These students, who have invested their time and money in us, deserve nothing less.

It is also wonderful news for the community. Pima County residents can rest assured we are an institution that is worthy of their support and can continue to significantly contribute to our region’s economic development.

Regaining the full confidence of our accreditor required a Herculean effort that spanned nearly four years and involved hundreds of employees – regular and adjunct faculty; exempt, non-exempt and temporary staff; and administrators — along with Governing Board members, students and community stakeholders.

The creativity and perseverance of our colleagues and friends has been phenomenal. As you might imagine, there are many, many people to thank. I want to express special gratitude to the Provost’s Office, which was charged in early 2013 with leading our accreditation effort and time and again responded admirably to the challenge.

I need to point out that, as we celebrate today’s achievement, we are preparing for our next Comprehensive Evaluation, part of the routine Standard Pathway of the HLC’s accreditation process.  This process will include developing an Assurance Argument and Evidence file, previously known as a Self-Study, as well as hosting a Comprehensive Evaluation Visit. We have been asked by the HLC to embed an Interim Report into the Assurance Argument in order to update the HLC Board on the status of items related to planning, budgeting, Developmental Education and the assessment of student learning.

We welcome the HLC’s interest in our institution, and confidently look forward to meeting and exceeding their standards now and in the future. We welcome the passionate interest so many have in PCC. The work we do matters. I am always proud to be part of PCC, and today, I am especially proud to lead a school that helps our neighbors climb the economic ladder and realize their personal, diverse vision of the American Dream.

Lee D. Lambert,
Chancellor

A big start to the new year

The past few days have been busy and productive as the College made progress in two important areas: state government engagement, and accreditation.

On Monday, I attended the opening session of the Arizona Legislature in Phoenix. Sen. David Bradley, District 10, invited a PCC team to the session, where we met briefly with Sen. Steve Farley, District 9. Sen. Bradley’s other guests included Daniel Ranieri, President/CEO for La Frontera Arizona, and H.T. Sanchez, Superintendent of TUSD. We discussed the importance of continued funding for education on all levels, including community colleges and universities, and our interest in Gov. Ducey’s proposed budget. I also met Senate President Andy Biggs and Rep.Vince Leach, District 11, Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

On Tuesday, I led a PCC team at a hearing of the Higher Learning Commission’s Institutional Actions Council Hearing Committee in Chicago. The hearing was held to review the report of the HLC evaluation team that visited PCC in September. As I have written, the College last month received the good news that the team recommended we be taken off probation.

I believe the hearing went extremely well and the atmosphere was positive. I asked that the Hearing Committee accepts the recommendation of the site evaluation team.

The hearing was significant because it was the last chance for us to describe, person to person, to the HLC the many improvements that are taking place at PCC and make our case to be removed from probation. The Hearing Committee asked a variety of questions covering a number of areas, such as integrated planning and budgeting, program review, board governance, leadership transition, and diversity.

The meeting reinforced my belief that the HLC Board of Trustees’ final decision, due in late February or early March, will be a positive one for the College.

To top off the last few days, before Wednesday’s PCC Governing Board meeting a new member of the Board, Mark Hanna, was sworn to begin his six-year term. Mark, a former chair of the PCC Alumni Association and a former member of the PCC Foundation, replaces Dr. Brenda Even, who chose not to run for re-election after ably serving on the Board since 2001.

Clearly, a lot of good things are happening at PCC as we learn, change and improve in order to better serve students and the community.

Monitoring Report update

PCC today took a major step forward as it works to improve service to students and the community. The College submitted a Monitoring Report to the Higher Learning Commission, our accrediting organization.

 The HLC had directed us to submit the report, which addresses HLC concerns regarding two of its Assumed Practices. The report contains numerous ways we intend to improve our processes regarding complaints and faculty oversight of curriculum.

 In describing PCC’s situation, I’ve said on several occasions that the wheels on the bus have fallen off. The metaphor remains apt. Assumed Practices are shared by institutions of higher education in the United States. They are foundational, minimal requirements that colleges and universities must meet in order to function. In resolving the HLC’s concerns about Assumed Practices, I believe that we are putting the wheels back on the bus, and readying the College so that it can move forward in the future.

 And move forward we will. I view the next 12-15 months as an excellent opportunity for review and reassessment. This period of intense self-examination of our mission and operations will yield a better Pima.

 For students, this process will be virtually invisible, as I discussed in this video on accreditation and probation. They will still be able to apply for financial aid, their PCC credits will transfer to four-year colleges, and the quality of our degrees and certificates will not be diminished. For the tens of thousands of students who will be returning to our campuses next month, I’m pleased to say that it’s business as usual.