Chancellor's Cabinet Meeting

District Office
January 22, 2008

Present: Chancellor Roy Flores; Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Suzanne Miles; Executive Vice Chancellor David Bea; Vice Chancellors Kirk Kelly and Raul Ramirez; Presidents Christal Albrecht, Lou Albert, Johnson Bia, Charlotte Fugett, Jana Kooi, and Sylvia Lee; Assistant Vice Chancellor and Vice Provost Brigid Murphy; Assistant Vice Chancellors Donna Gifford and Diane Groover

1.       Presentations

1a.    Contracts and Business Operations – Mark Dworschak (D. Bea)
Executive Vice Chancellor Bea presented information on Contracts Administration.  He noted that a contract is an agreement between two parties legally entitled to enter into the agreement, in which each promises to provide a benefit to the other and in which both parties intend to be bound by their promises.

Mr. Mark Dworschak, Director of Business Operations will present information on Business Operations at a future Cabinet meeting.

2.       Policies and Procedures

2a.    Program Accreditation (J. Bia)
The Process for Program Accreditation is not an SPG.  The Chancellor’s Cabinet agreed that the process outlined the Process for Program Accreditation will be the process followed for program accreditation and licensure.

3.       Follow-up

3a.    Employee Separation Process (R. Ramirez)
Vice Chancellor Ramirez presented a revised copy of the Employee Separation process.  Dr. Ramirez will continue to refine the exit checklist and bring back to Cabinet for approval.

3b.    Program Approval:  (J. Bia)
•  AUT – Collision Repair
President Bia noted that Collision Repair is an opportunity for a certificate and degree and is in response to an industry request.  Chancellor Flores requested to see the revenue cost before approving this program.
Action:  To come back.

•  CAD – Integrated Circuit Layout Design
Action:  Approved.

4.       Action Items

4a.    Scheduling of Classes  (R. Flores)
There has been some concern that class schedules overlapped in such a way that students find it difficult to plan classes.  All campuses found some overlap and found areas that can be immediately improved for the next schedule of classes and have started that process.  Cabinet was asked to review the information distributed to develop strategies to reduce the overlapping.  The Chancellor will present information on this topic to the Board of Governors in the March meeting.

4b.    Teaching Credentials – Teachers and other Administrators (R. Flores)
Chancellor Flores stressed the need to have faculty and administrators who teach meet the minimum credential requirements to teach in their fields.  Campus Presidents will be held accountable for any administrator or faculty member teaching on their campus who are not qualified to teach certain courses.

4c.    Student Services Survey Fall 2007 Executive Summary  (R. Flores)
Chancellor Flores reviewed the relative ratings for the campuses. Heather Tilson will be asked to attend the next Cabinet meeting for a discussion of various methods to capture this data in the future.

4d.    Travel Manual and Sole Source Form  (D. Bea)
Executive Vice Chancellor Bea reviewed the changes made to the travel manual.  The new manual provides clarity and will include links the various forms needed to travel.  Cabinet was asked to review the manual.  This item will come back for approval.

4e.    College Requirements for Mandatory Legal Reporting  (R. Ramirez)
Vice Chancellor Ramirez noted that it is the College’s responsibility to inform employees about the following:

• A.R.S. §38-448 — Access to Internet Pornography Prohibited — this statute is in the College’s handbook for all employees.
• A.R.S. §13-3620 — Duty to report abuse — SPG-1505/BB captures this information and will be coming to Cabinet for approval.
• Drug-Free Work Place Act of 1988 — SPG-4006/AA captures this information and will be coming back to Cabinet for approval.

4f.     District and Campus IT Organization  (K. Kelly)
Vice Chancellor Kelly gave a brief overview of some of the issues his staff is facing.  Action:  This item to come back.

5.       Information Items

5a.    Draft Disaster Preparedness Plan  (D. Bea)
This item was tabled.

5b.    Updates on Employee Evaluation Schedule  (R. Flores)
Employee evaluations will be on a fixed schedule instead of on their anniversary date.

Process for Program Accreditation – January 22, 2008

The Chancellor’s Cabinet agreed on January 22, 2008 that this will be the process followed for program accreditation and licensure.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this document is to provide direction and guidance to all members of the College as well as the public on how Pima Community College programs are accredited, certified, endorsed, recognized, credentialed and/or approved by external bodies.

DEFINITIONS

Agency
Agency refers to any organization, association, or external body that places requirements, establishes reporting relationships, specifies standards, or otherwise prescribes conduct of any portions of the affected program.

Program Accreditation:
For purposes of this document, the term “program accreditation” will be used to refer to any program’s application to, or relationship with an agency as defined above.  Terms that may be used by accrediting agencies, other than “program accreditation,” that may fit this definition include, but are not limited to: credentialing, certification, licensure, endorsement, approval or recognition.

Other relationships with external bodies are not included in this definition of “program accreditation” and are excluded from the provisions of this document. These relationships include but are not limited to: memberships, subscriptions, partnerships or other collaborations. These processes and relationships are approved at the Campus level.

Required Program Accreditation:
For a program accreditation to be considered required, it must meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. Be established by statute at the Federal, State, or Local level.
2. Be established by a Federal, State or Local agency in directives or regulations.
3. Arise from the college’s relationship with an organization without whose program accreditation:
   1. The licensure or employability of students is jeopardized.
   2. The viability of the program would be jeopardized.

Optional Program Accreditation
If program accreditation is not required based on the above criteria, it should be pursued if it achieves one or more of the following:

1. Enhanced recognition for the College or Program due to the affiliation with an international, national, state or local association widely or commonly recognized by business, industry, or occupational area.
2. Enhanced employability of graduates.
3. Increased mobility/transferability of students.
4. A competitive advantage for the College or Program.

PROCESS AND PROCEDURES

The processes for program accreditation are predicated on whether the accreditation is new or changing, or a renewal.  The process is very similar in either case.

A program that is seeking an initial accreditation, changing an existing accreditation, or renewing an accreditation will follow the process outlined below. 

1. The Program’s Dean of Instruction (PDI) provides the Campus President with rationale for requesting accreditation.  Such rationale shall include:
   1. Whether the program accreditation is Required or Optional.
   2. Why accreditation is being sought or renewed.
   3. Accrediting agency’s process and timeline.
   4. The additional resources (i.e. funding, personnel, etc.) needed to support initial and ongoing accreditation.
2. Campus President submits the request to seek or renew accreditation to Provost.
3. With Provost’s approval, Campus President submits request to Chancellor’s Cabinet for review.
4. After Chancellor’s Cabinet review of the request, and with Chancellor’s approval, the Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration increases program’s budget to cover accreditation expenses (if needed).
5. PDI supervises completion of the application and, via Campus President, submits the completed application to Provost for review.
6. With Provost’s approval, Campus President signs and submits the application to the accrediting agency.
7. PDI leads accreditation process, with informational updates provided to Chancellor’s Cabinet via Campus President.  If site visit includes an exit meeting, attendees should include the PDI, Campus President and AVC for Academic Affairs.
8. Upon notification from the accrediting agency, Campus President notifies Provost and Chancellor of accreditation status as outlined below. 
   1. If program is approved without recommendations Campus President notifies Provost and Chancellor.
   2. If program is approved with recommendations Campus President provides Provost and Chancellor with action plan and timeline to address recommendations.
   3. If program is denied, Campus President provides Provost and Chancellor with reasons for denial.
   4. 1. If program accreditation is required, Campus President will work with accrediting agency to remedy outstanding issues and develop action plan for accreditation.
      2. If program accreditation is optional, Campus President, in consultation with Chancellor and Provost, will evaluate program needs and determine if accreditation is still desired. If so, Campus President will work with accrediting agency to remedy outstanding issues and develop action plan for accreditation.

OUTCOMES

All members of the College community are provided with the process and details of the College accreditation/certification/approval renewal process.