Report recommends no sanctions for College of DuPage
A review team that recently evaluated College of DuPage is recommending the school receive no additional sanctions from an accreditation agency.
Still, the Glen Ellyn-based community college must continue to address several concerns before the Higher Learning Commission decides later this year if COD will keep its accreditation.
"The past year and a half has been a period of learning, growth and improvement for the college," school President Ann Rondeau said in a statement. "We greatly appreciate the time and effort of the Higher Learning Commission peer reviewers in their evaluation of College of DuPage and are also pleased they are recommending 'no sanctions' to the college's accreditation, which includes no probation."
In December 2015, the HLC placed the state's largest community college on a two-year probation for failing to act with integrity in its financial, academic, personnel and auxiliary functions.
While COD continues to be accredited and student credits are unaffected, the probation means the school must address the commission's concerns. If it doesn't, it could lose its accreditation - and that would have a devastating impact on students by adversely affecting financial aid programs and the ability to transfer credits.
Earlier this year, COD submitted an assurance filing to the HLC. The nearly 40,000-word document makes the case for how the college meets all 21 of the HLC's criteria for accreditation - not just the issues that led to the sanction.
The review team - sent by the HLC - visited COD's campus in April.
On Thursday night, COD trustees got their first look at the report prepared by the reviewers. The document is yet to be released to the public.
During a presentation for the board, James Bente, vice president of planning and institutional effectiveness, said the report concluded that COD meets all 21 of the HLC's criteria.
However, seven of the criteria are "met with concerns." They include ethical and responsible conduct, quality of educational programs through evaluation and improvement, and governance and administrative structures promoting effective leadership.
Despite citing items that need to be completed, the review team is recommending no sanctions.
Bente said three different sanctions could have been recommended, including continued probation or a lesser sanction of "notice."
"The recommendation of no sanctions is the best possible result we could have hoped for," Bente said.
Bente said the recommendation will be reviewed next month by the HLC's Institutional Actions Council. That panel will forward its own recommendation to the HLC board, which will make the final decision in November.
In the meantime, COD board Chairwoman Deanne Mazzochi said there's still work to do.
"Even the best of institutions have room for improvement," Mazzochi said Thursday night. "But having this independent, third-party comprehensive review of the college ... is one of the best ways for us to learn where changes and improvements can be made."