Columbia Gorge Community College awards students their
diplomas each spring with the name of Portland Community College stamped
on the documents.
That is because the college has, for its 30-year
history, contracted with PCC for its accreditation status. This issue may
not be as catchy as others concerning colleges but provides the
cornerstone on which the college’s validity is based.
CGCC is not alone. Klamath Community College, Tillamook
Bay and Oregon Coast Community College all contract with larger colleges
for accreditation. Doing so takes care of several needs including the work
involved with processing financial aid and maintaining student records.
Dr. Susan Wolff, the college’s chief academic officer,
has been leading the team through the process. She said CGCC was very
satisfied with its contract but the push toward independence has been a
goal for some time.
“It’s in recognition of our students’ efforts and
belonging to the Columbia Gorge,” Wolff said.
One issue is the process of curriculum development. The
way the system works now, the college’s curriculum is developed by PCC
faculty. While responsive, the sheer size of its system (one of the
largest in the country) means that individual course approval can take up
to a year.
If CGCC wants to respond more quickly to changing
regional needs, such as what is happening with the wind farm industry,
then having independent accreditation would help meet that goal.
“Their (PCC) focus is on a huge metro area; our focus
is out here,” Wolff said.
Oregon falls under the auspices of the Northwest
Commission on Colleges and Universities. The commission granted the
college permission to take the first step, that of a self-study, in
December 2006. On Wednesday, the many months of the initial phase came to
a close.
“It went off to the printer,” Wolff said, with a big
grin.
She has reason to smile. What most colleges typically
do in two to three years, the CGCC team completed in one year.
The 204-page document addresses five standards that the
college will be rated against. That is the next step when a team of peers,
all from out of state, visit the college April 30 to May 2. After that,
administrators won’t know until July, when the full commission meets
again, whether or not the college will be considered a candidate.
That phase takes an additional five to six years but
Wolff is confident CGCC is up to the task.
“We have the energy and passion there to do it,” she
said.
She credited thorough faculty, student and staff
involvement for their success through a series of teams.
The accreditation campaign comes at the same time CGCC is building a
voter-supported Hood River campus, on the Heights. CGCC-Hood River is
scheduled to open this fall.
