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The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) is part of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), one of six regional accrediting organizations in the United States. The ACCJC accredits private and public colleges that provide students two-year education programs and confer the associate degree.〔(Western Association of Schools and Colleges. ) Western Association of Schools and Colleges, n.d. Web. March 22, 2010.〕 The Commission's scope includes colleges in California, Hawaii, and American territories and protectorates in the Pacific Ocean.〔(Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. ) ACCJC, n.d. Web. March 22, 2010.〕 The ACCJC was formed in 1962 when several accrediting agencies joined to create WASC.〔Palincheck, Robert S. "Regional Accreditation and Two-Year Colleges." ''New Directions for Community Colleges'' 83 (Fall 1993). 12. Print.〕 The ACCJC is not a governmental entity but an independent organization of educators and others representing the public interest.〔(The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. ) "2002 Accreditation Standards: Implementation." Sacramento, CA: ASCCC, 2004. Web. March 16, 2010.〕 In concept, colleges apply to become members of the ACCJC and volunteer to participate in the accreditation process. A college must be accredited in order to participate in federal student financial aid programs.〔(Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. ) Also, many institutions accept only the credits and degrees that students earn at accredited colleges.〕 Moreover, accreditation is crucial to a college's reputation. Accreditation provides students, the public, and the educational community with assurances of the college's effectiveness. It also affirms the professionalism and integrity of the faculty, staff, administration, and trustees of the college.〔(The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. ) "2002 Accreditation Standards: Implementation." Sacramento, CA: ASCCC, 2004. Web. March 16, 2010.〕 in 2013, the ACCJC declared that it would pull the accreditation of, and thus shut down, City College of San Francisco. The ACCJC was sued in San Francisco Superior Court in three lawsuits by Dennis Herrera, San Francisco District Attorney; the American Federation of Teachers union local 2121, representing college faculty; and the Save CCSF Coalition of faculty, staff, and students. The judge appointed to hear these suits is Curtis E. A. Karnow. The ACCJC has sanctioned colleges at a rate vastly higher than the other accrediting bodies in the United States. At a forum on the CCSF campus California State Senator James Beall and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano described legislation which would undo the monopoly the ACCJC holds on accreditation of California Community Colleges. ==The accreditation process== The accreditation process is premised on the idea that the ACCJC and the colleges together shape the values and best practices of the educational community into the policies, requirements, and standards by which colleges are evaluated. It is the Commission's policy that the ACCJC and its member institutions share this right and responsibility.〔(Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges. ) "Policy on the Rights and Responsibilities of ACCJC and Member Institutions in the Accrediting Process." ''Accreditation Reference Handbook.'' Novato, CA: ACCJC, 2009. 115–116. Web. March 23, 2010.〕 Accreditation processes vary among regional commissions. The ACCJC requires member colleges to carry out a self-study, compose a report, and undergo peer review every six years.〔Palinchek, Robert S. "Regional Accreditation and Two-Year Colleges." ''New Directions for Community Colleges'' 83 (Fall 1993). 12. Print.〕 In short, the ACCJC process consists of two elements: the college's evaluation of itself and the ACCJC's evaluation of the college. These evaluations determine the extent to which the college is meeting the ACCJC's policies, requirements, and standards, and their purpose is to help the school improve itself. However, while the ACCJC and its representatives are considered peers of the college they are evaluating, ultimately it is the ACCJC, not the college, that will decide the college’s accreditation status and any subsequent steps the college must take to better this status. On August 13, 2013, the ACCJC was found to be in violation of federal regulations concerning its accreditation process. In a letter sent to the president of the ACCJC, the U.S. Department of Education stated that the ACCJC must remedy the problems or risk termination of its federal recognition as an accrediting body.〔() ''Game Changer for CCSF?''〕 As of January 20, 2015, State Chancellor Brice Harris issued a proposed change to the California Code of Regulations that would remove the ACCJC as the sole accrediting commission for California community colleges.〔()〕 On November 16, 2015, the Board of Governors voted 14-0, with one abstention, to direct Chancellor Harris to create a plan to replace the ACCJC and come up with a timeline by its March, 2016 meeting. Any such transition will take several years to execute, due to the lengthy and rolling nature of accreditation cycles and approval requirements by the U.S. Department of Education. According to the ACCJC 2011 newsletter, Heald was scheduled to undergo a comprehensive evaluation by the ACCJC in fall 2012.〔()〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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