Pride in our work for students
Earlier this month, Porterville College had its visit from a thirteen-member team representing the Accrediting Commission. It was an intense time for the college and its staff.
Team members held dozens of meetings with college employees and students. They asked tough questions and requested documentation to verify that we are meeting accreditation standards.
But during some of the meetings, they also asked, “What are you proud of?”
Being the data guy, I tended to emphasize related items. I spoke of the fact that we’ve reduced the gap in success rates between online classes and face-toface ones by a substantial amount in just a few years. I brought up student success data that show that many of the initiatives in which we’ve been engaged have begun to show results, improving completion rates, and as bodes well for the future, improving momentum point measures that tell us we’re on the right track. I can’t take credit for any of this success. I have next to nothing to do with our online education. When it comes to these items, my role is to have conversations with faculty and college and district leadership about how to measure results and work with them to determine if their interventions are working. They do the heavy lifting.
But, it wasn’t at these meetings that I was most impressed. The visiting team held two open forums, chances for anyone associated with the college to come and tell them just about anything they wanted.
I’ve been a part of these forums in the past, on both sides, at PC and having served on teams myself. Typically, they are used to ask questions about the accreditation process and how it works, to complain about some perceived injustice, or to brag about something good the college is doing. At PC, this time, it all seemed to be bragging. At first, I was concerned about the venue. I might have misremembered, but I thought these forums had previously been scheduled in a room in the Student Center. This time, they were in the Theatre. I worried that the size of the room would give the team the impression that few cared because there would be too many empty seats.
Boy, was I wrong. The first forum was held on a Tuesday afternoon, the second, on Wednesday morning, at a popular class time. The Theatre was nearly full on both occasions.
The accrediting standards are focused on the things that are universally important to a successful college, planning, tracking student outcomes, sufficient resources, and leadership. There are many things they barely touch on, but that make the college and its community proud.
The list of things people talked about was long and I didn’t write them down. But some talked about the college’s art gallery, which often hosts events by student and local artists. The music professor wanted to mention her program, but three people brought it up before she could. Porterville is a city that is proud of its musical heritage and the college is working to build on what the high schools have accomplished.
Others mentioned the Jobs, Entrepreneur, and Career Center, which helps students and community members build resumes, make connections, and find work. They mentioned the Cultural and Historical Awareness Program, which provides for the college and community events connecting it to the outside world, something very much needed in Porterville where many do not have the resources to travel.
Faculty talked about their programs and students talked about their dedicated faculty. People spoke of the college’s culture of innovation, which even the team members noted as one that allows people to take risks as faculty and administration seek what works to improve student success.
Community members spoke up about the college’s connection to the city of Porterville and the surrounding area. Local school district representatives discussed dual enrollment and other collaborative programs that help high school students dip their feet into the collegiate world.
I’ve been at the college for more than 18 years, so little of this came as a surprise, but seeing it all brought together showed me that this is a community that takes pride in its community college.
On Thursday morning, October 4th, the team members held an exit report. Having been on both sides of this experience, I knew it could be stressful and surreal. But this was the shortest and most positive report I’ve ever seen. The team commended the college on a number of items, briefly mentioned a couple of suggestions, and went on their way. People were literally dancing in the aisles after this report.
We’ll take those suggestions seriously and get to work. But for Porterville and for our students, this was a moment of pride.