A coordinated effort that involved nearly every Coconino Community College faculty and staff member, hundreds of hours of writing, reflection of the past 10 years and input from more than 100 community members is what it took for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) to grant Coconino Community College continued accreditation.
The final word came from the HLC, effective Feb. 22, 2012, indicating that the college has maintained its accredited status. The college was first granted accreditation by the commission in 1996, and then reapproved in 2002.
“The work that everyone, including our District Governing Board put into the project and improvements that have been made to our learning programs during the past 10 years is something we and our constituents in Coconino County can be very proud of,” said Dr. Leah L. Bornstein, president of Coconino Community College.
The HLC accreditation is a voluntary national designation sought out by higher education institutes across the U.S. to demonstrate accountability and quality of services to the communities they serve. The designation is required to be recognized as a credible learning institute by the federal government. In order to maintain accreditation, an institute must undergo a comprehensive evaluation process every ten years.
“Continuing accreditation is a thorough four-step process that includes an extensive self-evaluation study and an on-site peer review that involves interviews with almost every staff and faculty member at the college,” added Dr. Bornstein, “Retaining our accreditation not only shows that the college continues to exceed curriculum and quality standards, but is also providing residents and students with superior education services.”
To initiate the process, Coconino Community College first conducted a yearlong self-evaluation study in 2010, which was assembled into a 400-page report and submitted to HLC. Following the study, the commission conducted a three-day on-site visit during November 2011, where HLC consultants meet with various constituent groups including the District Governing Board, Foundation Board, students, faculty, community members and assessment and strategic planning committees. HLC is a non-governmental, private corporation, and one of two commission members of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), which was founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.
About Coconino Community College Coconino Community College (CCC) is an educational institution based in Flagstaff, Ariz. that provides more than 60 certificate programs and two-year degrees in various fields including nursing, fire science, law enforcement and child development. Established in 1991, CCC has served the residents of Coconino County for more than 20 years, and helped create the region’s skilled workforce, which is improving the overall health and safety of the community.
During its 20 years of operation, CCC has experienced tremendous growth. In 1991 approximately 1,000 students attended the college, and today more than 10,000 learners enroll in credit courses, life skill classes and corporate training sessions each year. CCC was recently recognized as one of the top 50 fastest growing Colleges by Community College Week.
CCC operates three campuses—Flagstaff Lone Tree Campus; Flagstaff Fourth Street Campus and Page/Lake Powell Campus—and also offers classes in Fredonia, Grand Canyon/Tusayan, Tuba City and Williams. The college offers campus, online and interactive TV courses, most of which are transferable to four-year universities. For more information about CCC, visit www.coconino.edu<http://www.coconino.edu> .
