Six years have gone by and now, Kapi‘olani Community College is preparing for its upcoming accreditation.
Bob Franco, director of Institutional Effectiveness and KCC accreditation liaison to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC-WASC), said an evaluation team comprised of members from ACCJC-WASC will visit KCC from Oct. 15 to Oct. 18.
Several reviews are required in order for the campus to be accredited: annual report, annual fiscal report, midterm report in the third year, a comprehensive self study, visit to the campus.
During the three-day visit, the evaluation team will also ask faculty and students for their input.
“Everyone’s (faculty) on call,” Franco said. “There’s a strong possibility that they’ll go to (places on campus like) the cafeteria and pull students aside and ask them the open-ended questions. I think the ACCJC really tries to get input from students.”
Emi Akiyama, 29, said she would not mind if she was asked by the ACCJC-WASC her thoughts about the campus.
“I think KCC is a really good school,” she said, “so yes, I would (like to talk to them).”
Accreditation is imperative for all colleges and universities as it assures the public, as well as other organizations that the institution has met standards appropriate to higher education and as the necessary resources to accomplish its purposes stated in the evaluation.
Without an accredited status, the institution can lose out on getting financial aid and Title IV grants, which Franco said can affect students.
“You really need to have a good standing to get federal funds and grants,” he said. “If you lose your accreditation – I don’t think that will happen to us – it affects federal financial aid for students.”
Akiyama, a culinary student, said she pays for school through scholarships, financial aid and from out of her own pocket.
“I think it is important that KCC is in good standing,” she said.
In addition, accreditation also means that students’ credits can transfer to another campus, Franco said. Accredited institutions are able to recognize and accept transfer credits.
Franco said he’s noticed accreditation standards have risen in recent years.
“It’s a very rigorous evaluation,” he said. “The standards have gotten very high due to (federal) pressures.”
In the first decade of the new millennium, the government stressed student learning outcomes. Under the Obama administration, there has been an added pressure to degree completion.
There’s also a public pressure as a result of “sky-rocketing” tuition, Franco said.
“From the public perspective,” he said, “college is really expensive. Students consume too much debt and don’t get a job after getting their degree.”
Despite these pressures, Franco is confident that Kapi‘olani Community College will have no problem getting reaccredited, however, there is always room for improvement.
“We’re not in any danger (of not getting reaccredited),” Franco said, “but we really can do better on student engagement.”
This semester, Franco enlisted help from New Media Arts (NMA) students to promote Kapi‘olani Engagement, Learning and Achievement (KALE). NMA students made a variety of posters that will be posted in every classroom. These posters, Franco said, will educate students how student engagement, achievement and learning interact and affect each other.
“Students need to see (college) as a priority,” he said. “Even though they may be busy, they need to prioritize and focus on getting a degree,” as well as work with their professors and manage time wisely.”