A joint statement from the College of Marin Academic Senate, Classified Senate, Student Senate, Superintendent/President and Board of Trustees President
College of Marin is facing an extraordinary challenge in complying with ACCJC/WASC recommendations by April 1, 2008. Never before in the history of the college has there been a greater need for all of us to work together to accomplish our common goal. Each of us plays an important role in whether or not the institution succeeds or fails. Each of us can make a difference in ensuring that the College of Marin endures to serve its community and generations of students for years to come. We invite you to join us in making a positive effort towards accomplishing the tasks that are crucial to the college’s ultimate success. We also encourage civil conduct, consensus building, and respectful dialogue so the college can move forward as a whole. The consideration and preservation of the whole college must be greater than the sum of its parts. Please join us in working together for the future of the College of Marin.

Sincerely,

Yolanda Bellisimo, Academic Senate President
Kathleen Kirkpatrick, Classified Senate President
Hoa-Long Tam, Student Trustee. Student Senate President
Frances L. White, Superintendent/President
Carole Hayashino, Board of Trustees President

“Avoiding hard questions about institutional performance, on the other hand, will neither advance self-knowledge nor lead to meaningful improvement. And self-knowledge and improvement are ultimately what WASC wants the accreditation process to be about.” ACCJC/WASC Evidence Guide, 2002.

FAQ: College of Marin Accreditation Status/ProbationWhy did ACCJC/WASC place COM on probation?
The College of Marin has been placed on probation by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC/WASC) pending the college’s compliance with Recommendation 3 requiring the implementation of program review in order to ensure effective institutional planning. This is the final recommendation that must be addressed in order for the college to be removed from probation and from warning status.

Why is it taking the college so long to complete the ACCJC/WASC program review requirement?
Beginning with the 1987 Accreditation Self-Study, past leadership groups attempted to implement program review but did not do so to the satisfaction of the accrediting agency. The college’s most recent attempt to implement a qualitative and quantitative program review was during the 2003-04 Self-Study. All previous program reviews have been rejected by ACCJC/WASC due to deficiencies. The current leadership is working with the faculty to complete program reviews that address ACCJC/WASC standards. Prior reports over several accreditation cycles show that the college presented the accrediting agency with incomplete program review models that did not include sufficient quantitative data. COM’s previous Accreditation Self-Study Reports and related documents are available for review by contacting the President’s Office.

What is COM doing to meet ACCJC/WASC’s recommendations and be removed from probation status?
ACCJC/WASC required COM to comply with five recommendations. The college has complied with four of the five recommendations. Faculty and staff are now working to complete Recommendation 3 by the April 1 deadline, which requires the implementation of qualitative and quantitative program reviews. The four other completed recommendations to date include: approving an educational master plan, conducting an actuarial study to determine our liability for the future costs of retirees, adopting a new governance structure for participatory decision making, and reviewing our mission, vision and values statements.

What is ACCJC/WASC’s Recommendation 3?
“Recommendation 3: The college implement, by January 2006, an institutional planning process based on agreed upon institutional values, a redefined mission, and measurable outcomes, that is strategic, systematic, data-driven, evidence based, focused on student learning and holds responsible parties accountable for actions and timelines. The planning process must integrate institutional effectiveness and program review processes to inform educational master planning, facilities master planning, technology planning, student learning and services programs development and revision, and resource allocation. To ensure effective and sustainable plans and informed decision making, the college must assess its current organizational structure and use of resources to create and support a culture of evidence, research, and data.”

What is program review?
ACCJC/WASC’s general definition of what comprises program review can be found throughout its Standards and most explicitly in Standard I: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness. Standard I Section B: Improving Institutional Effectiveness requires that “the institution demonstrates a conscious effort to produce and support student learning, measures that learning, assesses how well learning is occurring, and makes changes to improve student learning. The institution also organizes its key processes and allocates its resources to promote student learning. The institution demonstrates its effectiveness by providing 1) evidence of achievement of student learning outcomes and 2) evidence of institution and program performance. The institution uses ongoing and systematic evaluation and planning to refine its key processes and improve student learning.

Who is participating in program review?
Faculty, administration and staff are participating in program review. An academic program review process and template has been designed by the Program Review Work Group comprised of faculty, administration and staff. Academic program review examines trends related to student completion and student success measurements.

What is administrative review and how is it related to program review?
College of Marin administrative departments are undergoing a related process of assessment for establishing and achieving institutional goals. Our administrative assessment and planning process relies on mission, vision, values, goals, and student achievement outcomes to improve institutional effectiveness, planning, and decision making.

When will COM be taken off probation?
The college will be taken off probation when it fully complies with Recommendation 3.

What will happen if COM isn’t able to fully comply by the April 1 deadline?
No one knows for certain. WASC will either remove or continue sanctions. The process can take several years to resolve. Only one public college in the history of higher education has lost its accreditation and that was Compton Community College in 2005.

Is College of Marin an accredited institution?
Yes, College of Marin is fully accredited by the Western Association for Schools and Colleges (WASC). In January, 2008, WASC’s Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges placed College of Marin on probation. The probation status in no way affects the college’s status as a fully accredited institution.

Will courses taken at COM transfer to other schools?
Yes, all credit courses are eligible to transfer to other colleges and universities while COM is on probation. There has been no change to COM’s accreditation or the transferability of its credit course offerings.

Is financial aid available while COM is on probation?
Yes, federal and state financial aid is available to COM students while the college is on probation. Additionally, scholarships are still available through the College of Marin Foundation.

Will COM lose its accreditation?
It is unlikely that COM will lose its accreditation. There is only one instance of a public college losing its accreditation and that was Compton Community College in 2005.

What is WASC?
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) evaluates all California community colleges and other institutions of higher learning in its region every six years. The accreditation granted by WASC allows colleges to teach classes for credits that will transfer to other institutions. Accreditation reviews are designed to highlight areas for improvement. The accreditation process includes a detailed self-study by the institution being evaluated, as well as one or more site visits by an ad-hoc WASC team comprised of experienced administrators from California community colleges.

What actions can WASC take?
The WASC 2007 Accreditation Handbook states that “Institutions are advised that the Commission is required by the U.S. Department of Education not to allow deficiencies to exist for more than a total of two years. Consequently, institutions may remain under a particular sanction for a cumulative total of no more than two years. If concerns are not resolved within this period, the Commission can take action to terminate accreditation.” Only one college in the history of higher education has lost its accreditation and that was Compton Community College in 2005.

The first phase of the ACCJC/WASC sanction process is the issue of Warning status. If an institution fails to respond to Warning, then WASC imposes Probation. The last sanction is a notice to Show Cause. If the institution is not able to effectively Show Cause, then WASC will remove accreditation. If accreditation is lost, the institution has a right to appeal. This cycle takes several years to complete.

Where can I learn more about COM’s accreditation and WASC?
Copies of WASC’s report and communications to the College, as well as the College’s progress reports and self-study, are available at the College of Marin library. The library is located in the Learning Resource Center on the Kentfield campus. WASC can be found on the web at http://www.wascweb.org.

New Emergency Mobile Alert SystemThe Marin Community College District now offers an emergency mobile alerting system. To sign up, text “MCCD” on your cell phone to “253788” (AlertU) and reply “Y” or visit http://www.alert.org/mccd. Messages will be sent by Marin Community College District in case of emergency. You must be subscribed to receive the mobile alerts. There is no cost to subscribe, but your standard message rates may apply. To learn more about the new system, visit Alertu.org.

Spring 2008 credit enrollment is up at both campusesThe first census day headcount for credit students for spring 2008 is up 1.5% (+103 students) and slightly down in WSCH (-0.4%, -244.1 WSCH) compared to spring 2007 on first census day. (Spring 2007 credit first census day enrollment was 6,667 and spring 2008 credit first census day enrollment is 6,770.) Credit enrollment at the Kentfield campus increased 1.4% (+85 students). Enrollment at Indian Valley Campus is up 11.5% this semester from 987 students enrolled in spring 2007 to 1,100 (+113 students) enrolled this spring 2008 semester. This is the first time in approximately four years that enrollment at IVC has surpassed 1,000. (Please note: some IVC students also attend classes at the Kentfield campus.)

From the desk of the Vice President of Student Learning:My office has been informed that there appears to be discrepancies between the students who are actually in class and the names on class rosters. I was told that students who were initially enrolled in class were dropped from the rolls. (Thank you, Department Chairs, for bringing this to my attention at our meeting this past Tuesday.) I asked Bob Balestreri, Interim Dean of Enrollment Services, to see what he could find so that we could correct this. After receiving copies of several class rosters from faculty and comparing them to the Opening Day Scanners, we discovered that the problem is this:
The scanners require that faculty completely mark the correct bubble to show who is in class.
The scanners are then sent to IVC to be read by a scanning machine.
There is a discrepancy between what some faculty are marking and what the machine can read.
The result is that when the machine cannot read some of the bubbles, student names are dropped.

What is the solution? It will happen in two parts, the first being the fastest
1. If students’ names are missing from your class roster, please
o send their names and student identification numbers to Enrollment Services, or
o send copies, if you have them, of your bubbled class rosters to Enrollment Services.
2. We will continue to review the scanners to see where there may are instances of bubbling that the machine cannot use. (It will take longer because of the number of scanners that must be checked.)

The good news to all of this is that this is the last semester we will use scanners. Banner will be up and running for summer and fall 2008, and every semester thereafter; we will be using online rosters that instructors will mark, using computers. We are keeping Department Chairs informed, and will be providing more information about and instruction in using electronic rosters, if needed. (Many of you are already experienced in this, and most faculty find this easy to do, based on just the information on the rosters.)

Thanks once again for letting me know this was happening, and for your help and patience in fixing it.

Help raise funds for College of Marin Children’s Center The Children’s Center at College of Marin needs your support - and you can do it without giving them a dime! Simply register your credit cards and other accounts with ESCRIP. When you shop, College of Marin Children’s Center will receive up to five percent of your purchase amounts in fundraising dollars.

To enroll, go online to ESCRIP and follow the simple 1-2-3 step instructions. Enter College of Marin and select College of Marin Children’s Center. Then shop using your registered account cards – and you’ll be contributing to a worthy cause.

Thanks in advance from the Children’s Center Staff and Preschoolers!

Faculty Art Show at the College of Marin Art GalleryCollege of Marin Fine Art Professor Katrina Wagner’s Valentine’s Day based paintings and sculptures are currently on display at the College of Marin Art Gallery at the Kentfield campus. The exhibit was hung by Andrea Antonaccio and staff.

COM to host A Career and Transfer Program Fair at IVCCOM is hosting a fair for career and transfer programs in business and technology on Wednesday, February 13, and Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at the Indian Valley Campus. The programs include:

Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Explore careers and transfer programs in Business and Technology:

Business Office Systems and Financial Services
Office Administration
Business Administration

Court Reporting

Multimedia
Game Design
Video and Graphic Arts Design
Multimedia Arts Production

Computer Information Systems
A+, Networking, Programming
Hardware and Software Design, Installation, Management

Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Explore careers and transfer programs in Public Safety, Health, Education, and Sustainability:

Public Safety and Health Professions
Dental Assisting
Medical Assisting, Phlebotomy
Administration of Justice
Emergency Medical Technician/First Response

Environmental Sustainability
Landscape Design, Installation, Maintenance, Organic Farming

Education
Early Childhood Education, Teaching
Child and Adolescent Development

Allen Taylor to hold a benefit performance for Carla ZilbersmithAllen Taylor will hold a benefit performance of his one-man show, Walkin’ Talkin’ Bill Hawkins—In Search Of My Father, for Carla Zilbersmith on February 17, at 3 p.m. at Afro-Solo Theatre, The African American Art and Cultural Complex, 762 Fulton Street, San Francisco. For tickets, e-mail kaila@kailaflexer.com <mailto:kaila@kailaflexer.com> . The box office at the theatre is not selling these special tickets

Walkin' Talkin' Bill Hawkins is an inspiring, heartfelt story of self-discovery that celebrates Black culture and the rich legacy of Black radio. The 90-minute solo show tells the intimate story of Taylor's life-long search for his father, Bill Hawkins, the first Black disc jockey in Cleveland, Ohio. Infused with the lively sounds of rhythm & blues, gospel and jazz music that made Bill Hawkins so acclaimed, Taylor skillfully portrays a range of richly defined characters in the journey to discover his roots.

This one-man show received the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle Award for Best Solo Performance in 2006 and was critically acclaimed in Cleveland in 2007 where it inspired the posthumous induction of Bill Hawkins into the Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame of Ohio.

COM Athletics Men’s Basketball
2/13 COM v. Merritt at Oakland, 7 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
2/13 COM v. Solano at Fairfield, 7 p.m.
2/15 COM v. Yuba at Marysville, 5:30 p.m.
Baseball
2/14 COM v. West Valley College at Kentfield, 2 p.m.
2/18 COM v. West Valley College at Saratoga, 12:00 noon

COM Instructor Exhibit

Linda Koffman, part-time ESL credit instructor at COM, is currently exhibiting architectural and landscape photo images at the Rustic Bakery, 1139 Magnolia, Larkspur, now through May 3. Original film slides and digital prints have been transformed into painting-like designs through the process of Polaroid Image Transfer and hand coloring.

International Film Festival The COM Department of Modern Languages presents the First Annual College of Marin International Film Festival, featuring films that represent the foreign languages taught at the College. Each film will be introduced by an individual who teaches that language. The following features, which are FREE and open to the Marin County community, will be shown on Fridays at 7 p.m. in Olney Hall 96. For additional information, call (415) 485-9348 (x7348).

       February 29 La Finestra Di Fronte / Facing Windows (2003), Italian
       March 7 Les Poupees Russes / The Russian Dolls (2005), French
       March 14 Hula Girls (2006), Japanese
       March 21 El Viaje de la Nonna / Nonna’s Trip (2007), Spanish
       March 28 Love is Never Silent (1985), American Sign Language
       April 4 Shaolin Soccer (2001), Chinese

Performing Arts Department Schedule Carla Zilbersmith will be performing at Anna’s Jazz Island at 8 p.m. on Friday, February 15, located at 2120 Allston Way in Berkeley. For more information call (510) 841-JAZZ or go to www.annasjazzisland.com. Carla will be singing songs from two about to be released CD’s.

Music
For additional information on any of the following Music Department productions, call (415) 485-9460 (x7460).

Benefit performance
The COMF is hosting a preview performance of A Midsummer’s Night Dream on Thursday, Feb 28, Fine Arts Theatre, to benefit The Drama Student Fund. The performance starts at 8:00 pm, with a reception beforehand from 6:45-7:45 p.m., and Q & A after the performance conducted by Director Jim Dunn and cast. Cost is $40 per person. To reserve a space, please send a check to COMF.

A Performing Arts Department combined production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be offered on February 29, March 1, 7, 8, 14, and 15 at 8 p.m. and March 9 and 16 at 2 p.m. in the Fine Arts Theatre. This production will be directed by James Dunn, with musical direction by Tara Flandreau and choreography by Sandra Tanner. It is set to the music of Felix Mendelssohn and will be performed by the COM Orchestra. Tickets are $18 for general and $15 for students, seniors, COM staff, and alumni. For reserved seating, please call the box office at (415) 485-9385.

Have a great week!

Frances L. White, Ph.D.
Superintendent/President