State accreditation team gives exit report

After spending the week studying Palomar College, a group of 13 people from around the state issued their report card on the 23,000-student college.

On the afternoon of March 5, the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges met with school officials in a packed lecture room to rate the two-year school. The results is an early indicator of whether the school can keep its accreditation status or if they would be put on warning with calls for improvement. The final report will be released in late June to early July.

Palomar College was given six recommendations for improvement and six commendations.

The team recommends that the college:

1. Implement a district-wide enrollment management plan.

2. Provide tutoring for online students. Increase support services at Camp Pendleton site.

3. Develop a process to ensure sufficient staff numbers.

4. Fix the disconnect between enrollment management and institution budgeting.

5. Create an environment that includes the participation of all employees in shared governance.

6. Stop deficit spending.

The team congratulated the college on:

1. Developing and sustaining faculty-driven curriculum goals called Student Learning Outcomes.

2. Creating a culture that supports student engagement and leadership.

3. Creating an innovative library webpage that provides 24/7 access to educational resources for all students, faculty and staff.

4. Dedicating significant resources to a professional development program for faculty and staff.

5. Effective use of voter-approved money to renovate or build campus buildings.

6. Commitment to the community through the campus renovation.