Commission reaffirms college accreditation

    After placing the college on warning last year, the commission in charge reaffirmed Santa Ana College's accreditation earlier this month.

   "It is critical that the college be accredited," Norman Fujimoto, vice president of academic affairs, said. "Other institutions and some employers require that course work is done at an accredited institution."

   Last February, SAC was placed on a warning status by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This was the first time in the school's 95-year history that it had been placed on warning.

   Schools go through the accreditation process every six years. In the Western Region there are currently 121 colleges with accreditation and 19 with a warning or probation status. Both ACCJC and WASC ensure the quality of the institution and encourage improvement, according to their website.

   Accreditation is necessary for colleges to grant degrees and receive federal funding. It is also needed for students to receive credit for classes when transferring to a four year college or university.

   SAC President Erlinda Martinez explained in an e-mail that the panel gave the college four recommendations for improvement. These included planning and budget alignment for the school and district attendance accounting and Board of Trustee self-evaluation.

   In October 2009, four task force groups were created to address the recommendations and submit a follow-up report. After the issues were corrected, Santa Ana was taken off warning status.

   Santa Ana must submit another follow-up report by October 2010 to address one final district recommendation.

   Martinez said she was confident that the issue will be resolved and SAC will maintain its status in the future.

   "The goal of accreditation is continuous improvement," Martinez said. "We want to be the best because our students deserve the best."