Accreditation

Accreditation at LASC

Welcome to the accreditation website for Los Angeles Southwest College(LASC).

LASC is fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges(ACCJC)/Western Association of Schools and Colleges(WASC). Accreditation is a status granted to an educational institution that has been found to meet or exceed stated criteria of educational quality. Institutions voluntarily seek accreditation and it is conferred by non-governmental bodies.

Accreditation 2012: SOARING TO HIGHER STANDARDS

LASC has just completed it's first draft of the 2012 Accreditation Self-Study report. Please take time to familiarize yourself with its contents and direct any feedback, comments, or questions to Accreditation Faculty Co Chair Lashawn Brinson @ brinsoll@lasc.edu or the Accreditation Liaison Officer Dan Walden @ waldendw@lasc.edu.

LASC 2012 Accreditation Self-Study

LASC Accreditation 2012 Updates

Additional Resources

History of Accreditation at LASC

The Accreditation Commission's letter (6/29/06) to LASC, after reviewing the Self-Study 2006 site visit, reaffirmed accreditation with a requirement that complete a Progress Report by 3/15/08. The report will be followed by a visit by Commission representatives who will visit the college during spring 2008 semester.

Progress report preparations began in fall 2006 when a planning team (Academic Dean, Dr. Dan Walden, and two faculty members, Ms. Shelley Werts and Mr. Glenn Yoshida) met to develop strategies to complete both the Progress Report (3/15/08) and Mid-Term report (3/15/09). A document, 2006 Accreditation Follow-Up Matrix, was created over a period of six months and included objectives and activities to resolve all seven accreditation recommendations. Many activities mirrored planning agendas from the 2006 Self Study and suggestions from the previous accreditation team. For each recommendation, specific objectives and corresponding activities were created with a timeline, persons responsible, and evidence list. The Self-Study planning agendas and team recommendations in the narrative were also used to formulate the objectives and activities. After receiving input from campus entities addressed in the matrix, the planning matrix was distributed to the broader campus community for further input. After incorporating the campus feedback, the final draft of the Progress Report, essentially a summary of actions taken from the matrix, was reviewed by the president and distributed to all constituency groups in December 2007 for final approval. Subsequently, the Progress Report was reviewed and received by the LACCD Board of Trustees on 2/27/08.

Following the ACCJC Focus Visit in April 2008, the campus was informed that it had been given a sanction of Probation. Subsequently, an accreditation task-force was formed in October 2008, consisting of six faculty members (Tangelia Alfred, Rose Calderon, Al Cowart, Lisa Ford, Sabrena Turner-Odom, and Glenn Yoshida—accreditation co-chair), two administrators (VP of Academic Affairs, Ms. Leige Doffoney and Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Dan Walden—accreditation co-chair), a District assistant (Sean Gallagher), and secretary (Ms. Traci Tippens). The task-force met seven times (October 8, 16, 20, 29, November 12, 24, and December 8) during the Fall 2008 semester and utilized the 2006 Accreditation Follow-Up Matrix to develop narratives responding to each of the seven recommendations (#1-4 for the Follow-Up report and #5-7 for the Mid-Term report) and updating progress made on the planning agendas from the 2006 Self Study. The response and evidence for District Recommendations 1 and 2 were provided by the District Liaison for Accreditation and the LACCD Vice Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness. Numerous college personnel were contacted for their input by task-force members. A shared computer drive was created to store electronic files of drafts and evidence. During January and February of 2009, the report was further refined and edited by Dean Walden with assistance from Glenn Yoshida and District staff. On February 18-19, 2009, the drafts of both the Follow-Up Report and the Mid-Term Report were distributed by email to all college personnel for review and feedback. The College Council, representing all college constituency groups, met on February 19, 2009 and approved the final drafts which were then forwarded to the college president. The Follow-Up Report and the Mid-Term Report were then reviewed by the LACCD Board of Trustees’ Committee on Planning and Student Success and received by the Board of Trustees on February 25, 2009.

July 2009

Yessss! LASC has been restored to Full Accreditation status with NO sanctions. The College Community did an excellent job of responding to ACCJC’s recommendations. Even though stressful, I am appreciative of the hard work that faculty, staff and students engaged in over the past year to get us to this point. Again, congratulations to all and “Full Steam Ahead”! Go Cougars!

Presidential Accreditation Update #1 - August 5, 2008
Presidential Accreditation Update #2 - August 27, 2008
Presidential Accreditation Update #3 - May 26, 2009
ACCJC Commission Public Comment - June 11, 2009