January 17, 2024
Dear SRJC Community,
Over the past 18 months, SRJC has engaged in extensive work ensuring the college maintains its accreditation status with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). We should feel proud of the collective effort that resulted in the Fall 2023 Follow-Up Report, Peer Team Site visit, and our progress to date in addressing the June 14, 2023 Action Letter.
Accreditation is a critical, transparent opportunity to examine how successful we are at fulfilling our mission, demonstrating the quality and rigor necessary to ensure students meet relevant learning outcomes and are prepared for the next stage of their academic or career journey. It is an opportunity to engage in reflection and action-planning that is data-informed.
During our 2022 Accreditation cycle, SRJC was required to address two compliance requirements (Standards) pertaining to Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) identified by ACCJC in the June 14, 2023 Action Letter. Last fall, we submitted SRJC’s Accreditation Follow Up Report, as well as hosted an accreditation team to review course syllabi and SLO assessments and meet with key individuals on campus. Their Peer Team Review Report informed the Commission on SRJC addressing and correcting the deficiencies with Compliance Requirements 1 and 2.
Yesterday late afternoon, I received an official communication from the ACCJC Commission. After reviewing SRJC’s Accreditation Follow Up Report, related materials, and the Peer Team Review Report, the January 16, 2024 Action Letter communicates that SRJC:
- Has met the standard requirements for I.B.2 and II.A.3 (Compliance Requirement 2).
- Has not met the standard requirements for I.B.6 (Compliance Requirement 1).
- Is required to submit a follow-up report by November 1, 2024 to address Standard I.B.6.
I am pleased with ACCJC’s decision to recognize the work that went into addressing Standards I.B.2 and II.A.3 and confident that SRJC will be able to demonstrate that we have successfully met Standard I.B.6 in the November Follow Up report. We have an SLO assessment plan that is currently underway and will not only meet the compliance requirements for SLOs but more importantly, strengthen our institutional culture to use disaggregated data to regularly assess academic quality and seek continuous improvement in student learning.
Please join me in celebrating and thanking Dr. Robert Holcomb, Dr. Jeremey Smotherman, and our constituent group faculty, classified professionals, and administrative leaders for their hard work and commitment to our institutional effectiveness efforts.
For further information on Accreditation and the ACCJC Action Letter, please go to https://accreditation.santarosa.edu.
In community,
Dr. Angélica Garcia, Ed.D.
Superintendent/President
707-527-4431, angelicagarcia@santarosa.edu
