Accreditation

2024 midterm Report

The college's Midterm Report was submitted to ACCJC on March 15, 2024. 

REAFFIRMATION OF ACCREDITATION

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), held its biannual meeting January 12-14, 2022.  The Commission acted to Reaffirm Accreditation for the remainder of the cycle. The Commission finds that Cerritos College has addressed the compliance requirements, corrected deficiencies, and meets Standards I.B.2, I.B.5, I.B.6, and II.A.3. 

The next report from the College will be the Midterm Report due on March 15, 2024. The institution’s next comprehensive review will begin with Team ISER Review in the fall term of 2026 and conclude with a Focused Site Visit in the spring term of 2027. 

Follow-Up Report and Virtual Peer Review Team Visit

The college's Follow-Up Report was submitted to ACCJC on September 28, 2021. The virtual Peer Review Team Visit is scheduled for October 25-26, 2021.

June 30, 2020 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE UPDATE

 

Dear Colleagues,

Late yesterday we received notice that the ACCJC acted to reaffirm our Accreditation for 18 months and required a Follow-Up Report, due no later than October 1, 2021, followed by a visit from a peer review team. Despite receiving a very positive exit report from our visiting Team Chair, and appealing to the commission during its June meeting, the final Accreditation written report for Cerritos College includes two compliance recommendations and one commendation.

Compliance Recommendations:

  • In order to meet the standards, the team recommends the college assess the accomplishment of its mission by using student learning outcomes and program review data. It is recommended that the college disaggregate and analyze these data and evaluate the efficacy of strategies to mitigate gaps. (I.B.5, I.B.6)
  • In order to meet the standards, the team recommends the college identify and regularly assess learning outcomes for courses, programs, certificates, and degrees. In every class section, the course syllabus must include learning outcomes from the officially approved course outline of record. (II.A.3, I.B.2)

We are already beginning to work on plans to address the recommendations above and some of the work is already being done. Please be ready to assist the team as we work to meet the standards on the above recommendations.

Please click here to continue reading Dr. Fierro's President's Message.

february 27, 2020 President's message update

 

Dear Colleagues,

By all accounts, we had an incredible Accreditation site visit this week. As part of ACCJC’s peer review process,the visiting team, led by Dr. Kathleen Rose, Superintendent/President, Gavilan College, conducted over 40 interviews and held two open forums to assess the degree to which the college meets the ACCJC accreditation standards.

At today’s exit forum, Dr. Rose shared the team’s effusive praise of our student-centered campus. It was indeed a very proud moment for me when the team recognized our “active culture of service” at Cerritos College. Focusing on our students is what we do best, and it was quite an honor that our peers recognized our continuous effort to be a student-centered institution.

Dr. Rose highlighted the exemplary work being done in the following areas:

  • Teacher TRAC
  • Automotive Technology
  • Our partnership with National University
  • Basic Needs Taskforce
  • Embedded Tutoring Program
  • Cerritos Complete
  • Dual Enrollment
  • CTX
  • Art Gallery
  • Adult Education and Non-credit Integration
  • Culinary Arts Program
  • Woodworking Program

Dr. Rose also shared a commendation for Cerritos College for creating and encouraging innovation leading to institutional excellence.

Please click here to continue reading Dr. Fierro's President's Message.

 

2020 Team Visit February 24-27

Events

  1. Open Forum 1: Tuesday, February 25 TBA
  2. Open Forum 2: Wednesday, February 26 TBA
  3. Exit Report: Thursday, February 27, 1:00pm TBA

Accreditation is the primary process by which colleges and universities in the U.S. assure and improve educational quality. Accreditation provides assurance to students that the educational activities of a college have been found to meet Accreditation Standards and are satisfactory. A college’s accredited status assures to students easier transfer of earned academic credits, the opportunity to receive federal financial aid, and greater acceptance of students’ credits, certificates and degrees by employers, licensing agencies, and other colleges. 

The ACCJC utilizes a peer review process on a six-year cycle to assure and improve educational quality. Peers from other colleges in the region form a Site Visit Team to evaluate our college based on the Accreditation Standards, Eligibility Requirements and Commission policies. During the visit, the team will meet with employees, review evidence as part of the college’s Self Evaluation report, and write a team report with recommendations to the ACCJC regarding the college’s accredited status.

 

COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE COLLEGE WITH ACCJC

Students and members of the public who desire to file a complaint regarding Cerritos College with the accrediting body of the college, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) may do so via their website. Prior to submitting a complaint, please review ACCJC’s Policy on Student and Public Complaints Against Institutions.  The Commission (ACCJC) receives complaints about substantive matters that are related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. The Commission will address concerns that are clearly related to an accreditation action taken by the Commission. However, the Commission does not act as a court of appeal, and therefore cannot settle disputes between individuals and institutions.  Areas that would not fall under the purview of ACCJC include: matters of admission, granting or transfer of academic credit, grades, fees, student financial aid, student discipline, collective bargaining, faculty appointments, promotion, tenure and dismissals or similar matters.