The threat of losing accreditation was repeated often in the weeks leading up to Dr. Jeff Marsee being removed from his position as president earlier this semester, but many had little understanding of what that actually meant for the campus.
As Acting President Dr. Kathy Hart explained in an email interview, “Accreditation is the way for a college or university to provide the public/students with degrees and certificates that students and the community trust, it assures that the institution is continuously improving and growing to meet the needs of it’s students and the society.”
Marsee used the threat of losing accreditation as a reason he should be allowed to stay.
Marsee’s lawyers, earlier this year, implied releasing the now former president would cause a loss in confidence in the Delta campus, possibly leading to a loss of accreditation, meaning units earned in classes at Delta would not be transferable to other colleges or universities.
Delta is accredited through the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Delta is currently listed as “on warning” on ACCJC’s website.
According to Hart, “on warning” is the lowest level of sanctions through the organization.
“Dr. Marsee warned that the Accreditation Commission might put us on ‘probation’ or ‘show cause’; both are ‘greater’ sanctions… but neither means that our degrees or certificates are actually in jeopardy — they do mean that we would need to address the issues.” Hart wrote.
Delta’s next report to the ACCJC is due March 29.
After a follow up visit, Delta will be informed about its sanction level and what areas need improvement.
Hart is confident that Delta will meet accreditation standards.
“We’ve made a lot of progress since our last report, and if we need it, with another 6 months of work, I know we can satisfy the Commission’s standards. Whether Dr. Marsee is here or not, we know where we are and what we need to do,” said Hart in the email.
