2008 Woodie Awards
Valley Prepares for Accreditation
Eduardo Moran
Issue date: 11/9/05 Section: News
The Valley College's accreditation team is taking a look inward in hopes of preparing a study that will help the college maintain its status as an accredited college.
If Valley loses its accredited status, it will lose federal funding and the classes offered at Valley will not be transferable to other colleges or universities.
"If [students] get a degree from a college that's not accredited," said Tehmine Oganesyan, a 23-year-old deaf studies student. "It's like me giving someone any piece of paper. It means nothing."
"It's a scary thing not to be accredited," said accreditation chair Deborah Kaye. "We have to be accredited so students can transfer."
Administrators, faculty members, classified staff and students are taking part in the accreditation renewal process through a thorough self-study. The study looks at Valley's mission statement to see if the campus is living up to it. It examines the effectiveness of student services and learning programs, to determine whether students are learning what is taught in classrooms. In addition, the self-study also examines the use of Valley's human, technological, physical and financial resources.
"It gives us an opportunity to evaluate what we do and how we do it," said accreditation liaison officer Carlie Tronto. "It helps us make changes and see if we're serving our students."
Done every six years, the self-study measures Valley's performance and aims at meeting the Western Association of Schools and Colleges' criteria for accreditation. The criteria are research-based guidelines to make sure a school is operating with a clear understanding of its purpose.
Ten accreditation teams at Valley will write a report based on research and discussion stating their findings and response to the recommendations made by WASC in 2001. The first draft is due Nov. 30 and revisions are due in March.
Then, a team from the WASC commission will read Valley's report, visit Valley in spring 2007 and interview members of the accreditation teams and students. The commission will then write a report commending exemplary practices and will issue recommendations in areas that need improvement and determine our status based on this information.
The "Stamp of Approval" assures Valley's integrity.
Although the process began last semester, it's not too late for students to participate in the self-study.
"I encourage students to get involved," said Gayane Markosyan, vice-president of the Associated Student Union. "The input students have is listened to"
Interested students or staff can contact Deborah Kaye, accreditation chair at (818) 947-2805 or email her at kayedr@lavc.edu.
If Valley loses its accredited status, it will lose federal funding and the classes offered at Valley will not be transferable to other colleges or universities.
"If [students] get a degree from a college that's not accredited," said Tehmine Oganesyan, a 23-year-old deaf studies student. "It's like me giving someone any piece of paper. It means nothing."
"It's a scary thing not to be accredited," said accreditation chair Deborah Kaye. "We have to be accredited so students can transfer."
Administrators, faculty members, classified staff and students are taking part in the accreditation renewal process through a thorough self-study. The study looks at Valley's mission statement to see if the campus is living up to it. It examines the effectiveness of student services and learning programs, to determine whether students are learning what is taught in classrooms. In addition, the self-study also examines the use of Valley's human, technological, physical and financial resources.
"It gives us an opportunity to evaluate what we do and how we do it," said accreditation liaison officer Carlie Tronto. "It helps us make changes and see if we're serving our students."
Done every six years, the self-study measures Valley's performance and aims at meeting the Western Association of Schools and Colleges' criteria for accreditation. The criteria are research-based guidelines to make sure a school is operating with a clear understanding of its purpose.
Ten accreditation teams at Valley will write a report based on research and discussion stating their findings and response to the recommendations made by WASC in 2001. The first draft is due Nov. 30 and revisions are due in March.
Then, a team from the WASC commission will read Valley's report, visit Valley in spring 2007 and interview members of the accreditation teams and students. The commission will then write a report commending exemplary practices and will issue recommendations in areas that need improvement and determine our status based on this information.
The "Stamp of Approval" assures Valley's integrity.
Although the process began last semester, it's not too late for students to participate in the self-study.
"I encourage students to get involved," said Gayane Markosyan, vice-president of the Associated Student Union. "The input students have is listened to"
Interested students or staff can contact Deborah Kaye, accreditation chair at (818) 947-2805 or email her at kayedr@lavc.edu.
