WEB EXCLUSIVE: Mock Accreditation Prepares Campus
Hannah Leyva
Posted on: 3/5/09 Section: News
A mock accreditation team conducted a practice site visit on the PCC campus as a follow-up to the recently completed Self-Study Accreditation Report produced by the school, on Tuesday.
This mock tour was done to help better prepare PCC and all those involved in the process for the actual accreditation visit on March 16-19.
"This is just a dress rehearsal for the real thing," said Dr. Lynn Wright, who coordinated the self-study. "It is a chance for us to experience what the real accreditation will be like."
The process of accreditation, which gives an institution its credibility, takes place every six years. The year before the scheduled accreditation visit, a school must conduct a self-study. They then must publish a report of their findings and send it to their regional accreditation commission two months before the scheduled visit. The accreditors will base their site visit around this report, which lists all the standards and how the school meets or does not meet these standards.
The long and tedious process means that to not perform well would be inexcusable. Hence the mock accreditation visit, which is like a peer review, to make sure the school can perform at its best.
"They are not assessing, they are just here to make recommendations," Dr. Wright clarified. "They've been through this process themselves and know what it is like. They are not here to judge."
The mock accreditors spent most of the day conducting interviews with faculty and staff. "They want to see the interaction between people and how well we can answer their questions," Dr. Wright stated. "They're looking for how well we articulate orally as opposed to the written report."
The written report, which can be found on PCC's website, is extensively detailed. Dr. Wright acknowledged that the mock team, which is made up of volunteers from other regionally accredited schools, probably did not read all of it. "They are not looking for context. Who wants to read a 300-page report? They won't be looking for that kind of detail."
The self-study report, however, will serve as a useful tool to staff members who were interviewed. "It gives us the chance to go back and look over sections that we were unsure of," she said.
Overall the mission of the mock team is to give PCC faculty, staff, and students a feel for what the accreditors are looking for and to make them feel more comfortable with the whole process. "It's kind of strange to be interviewed about your own school," said Dr. Wright. "We just have to get used to answering their questions."
This mock tour was done to help better prepare PCC and all those involved in the process for the actual accreditation visit on March 16-19.
"This is just a dress rehearsal for the real thing," said Dr. Lynn Wright, who coordinated the self-study. "It is a chance for us to experience what the real accreditation will be like."
The process of accreditation, which gives an institution its credibility, takes place every six years. The year before the scheduled accreditation visit, a school must conduct a self-study. They then must publish a report of their findings and send it to their regional accreditation commission two months before the scheduled visit. The accreditors will base their site visit around this report, which lists all the standards and how the school meets or does not meet these standards.
The long and tedious process means that to not perform well would be inexcusable. Hence the mock accreditation visit, which is like a peer review, to make sure the school can perform at its best.
"They are not assessing, they are just here to make recommendations," Dr. Wright clarified. "They've been through this process themselves and know what it is like. They are not here to judge."
The mock accreditors spent most of the day conducting interviews with faculty and staff. "They want to see the interaction between people and how well we can answer their questions," Dr. Wright stated. "They're looking for how well we articulate orally as opposed to the written report."
The written report, which can be found on PCC's website, is extensively detailed. Dr. Wright acknowledged that the mock team, which is made up of volunteers from other regionally accredited schools, probably did not read all of it. "They are not looking for context. Who wants to read a 300-page report? They won't be looking for that kind of detail."
The self-study report, however, will serve as a useful tool to staff members who were interviewed. "It gives us the chance to go back and look over sections that we were unsure of," she said.
Overall the mission of the mock team is to give PCC faculty, staff, and students a feel for what the accreditors are looking for and to make them feel more comfortable with the whole process. "It's kind of strange to be interviewed about your own school," said Dr. Wright. "We just have to get used to answering their questions."
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