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Accreditation

Accreditation of the Institution

College of the Siskiyous is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, 428 J Street, Suite 400 I, Sacramento, CA 95814, (415) 506-0234, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Additional information about accreditation, including the filing of complaints against member institutions, can be found at ACCJC.

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, at its meeting June 7-8, 2023, reviewed the Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER) and evidentiary materials submitted by College of the Siskiyous. The Commission also considered the Peer Review Team Report prepared by the peer review team that conducted its site visit to the College May 1-3, 2023.

The purpose of this review was to determine whether the College continues to meet ACCJC’s Eligibility Requirements, Commission Policies, and Accreditation Standards (hereinafter, the Standards). Upon consideration of the written information noted above, the Commission acted to Reaffirm Accreditation for seven years.

Commendations signify institutional practices for which the Commission believes exceed Standards. The Commission recognizes the exemplary performance of College of the Siskiyous in the following areas.

Standards II.A.14, IV.B.6 (Commendation 1): The Commission commends the College for connecting with the constituencies it serves in order to support and strengthen the rural region. Examples include theconnection observed between Career Technical Education programs and their industry partners for curriculum development, training, and hiring. Similarly, support of local community needs ranging from partnerships with school districts and non-profits to assisting emergency personnel during fire season is exemplary.

Past Accreditation Documents

Correspondence from the Accrediting Commission

Please see the below correspondence from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges in regard to a Policy Revision.

Background

Federal regulations require accrediting agencies to maintain a systematic review demonstrating that its standards are adequate to evaluate the quality of the education or training provided by the institutions it accredits and relevant to the educational needs of students (34 CFR §602.21). ACCJC's operational policy on Review of Accreditation Standards outlines the systematic process by which ACCJC conducts the comprehensive review of its standards, including the methods used to encourage wide-participation and input from its member institutions and their constituency groups. The policy, as currently written and adopted, only provides for the comprehensive review of all standards and does not provide for any process or practice in which an individual standard or group of standards could be reviewed and revised in between the comprehensive review cycle.

Policy Revision

As the 2014 standards have been implemented and applied to the evaluation of member institutions, the Commission has received comments and concerns from the field regarding the language and interpretation of specific standards. Recognizing there may be a need to review and revise individual standards in between the comprehensive review cycle, the Commission's policy committee has proposed a revision to the policy on Review of Accreditation Standards to provide a mechanism for individual standard review in between the comprehensive review cycle and has revised the policy language for clarity and accuracy. At its June 2017 meeting, the Commission approved the revised policy for first-read. Following its Bylaws, the ACCJC invites comments from the field on this policy revision.

Written comments may be emailed to accjc@accjc.org. All comments must be received by September 15, 2017. All comments will be reviewed by the ACCJC Policy Committee. The committee will incorporate any changes into the policy, which will then be presented to the Commission for a second-reading and action at the January 2018 meeting. Additionally, the policy will be on the Commission's open meeting agenda, and anyone interested may comment on the policy and its proposed changes directly to the Commission during the public comment session and prior to the Commission taking action.

Other Accreditations of Career and Technical Programs

Contact

Dr. Mark Fields, Vice President, Academic Affairs
Email: accreditation@siskiyous.edu