Publish Date: Mar 4, 2019
Based on a preliminary report from a team of educators who visited Hartnell Community College District campuses on March 4-7, we anticipate receiving affirmation of accreditation for seven more years.
Congratulations to everyone who has contributed to this exceptional outcome!
On March 7, the 11-member assessment team from community colleges in California and Hawaii, representing the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), announced it would not make any recommendations for compliance, meaning Hartnell fully meets all accreditation standards.
About 120 employees and students burst into thunderous applause following this announcement in Steinbeck Hall by Team Chair Willy Duncan, superintendent/president of Sierra College (pictured). It was a great day in the history of Hartnell College.
The ACCJC team based its findings on the dozens of meetings it held with Hartnell faculty, staff, students and community members, as well as a review of our 327-page self-evaluation report and their independent research. (The team’s visit to the Alisal Campus is pictured, along with a photo of Emmett Linder, director of community and grower relations for Driscoll’s).
The preliminary report will be reviewed by the ACCJC commission and is expected to be returned to Hartnell as a final report in June.
“We are very impressed by Hartnell College, and we commend you on developing a culture of professional excellence,” Duncan said. “… You know who you are as a college and as a community, and this sense of meaning and purpose permeates the entire organization.
“We were able to feel it. We found it from your staff, from your faculty and from your administration, and most importantly from your students and the community members we were able to talk to.”
Rather than citing unmet standards, the team issued three formal commendations – for Hartnell’s work to support student success, forge community partnerships and make data-driven decisions regarding academic programs and courses.
They also made three recommendations for improvement, intended to further elevate the college’s service to students and other stakeholders. The recommendations were in the areas of library services, planning for long-term costs of new facilities and regularly updating its technology master plan.