News Brief: Accreditation

JULIE LUDERS Roundup Reporter @JLuders_Roundup

Attendance was low at the Pierce College Planning Committee as members addressed Pierce’s upcoming accreditation review for 2016.

The objectives of accreditation, as stated by the Accreditation Steering Committee, are an evaluative process and a seal of approval for institutions of higher education.

“March is a transition month, however accreditation is going well so far according to the new updates I have received,” Margarita Pillado, newly-appointed Co-Chair of the Pierce College Planning Committee, said.

With important events in the future, Co-Chairs Oleg Bespalov and Pillado urged the College Planning Committee members to encourage fellow members to be present at upcoming meetings so that the committee can be more efficient.

[From NEW CLASSES, pg. 1] more classes of Women’s History and Latin-American History.

The history department wants to add more classes in the upcoming semesters to lower class sizes and help students register for the classes they need without having to crash.

Moffatt also wants to add more courses in future semesters, and hopes for the senate committee’s approval to expand students’ success in the future.

Moffatt announced the new classes in the Academic Senate meeting.

But she can’t predict student behavior on whether or not students will keep crashing courses even after more classes are added.

“These classes may make our offsprings more attractive,” Moffatt said.

Senate reviews horticulture hires and repairs

Reporter @Tahashikano

New modifications to a horticulture viability review were approved last Monday by the Pierce College Academic Senate.

The modifications aim to add faculty and possibly repair defunct buildings.

If the propositions by the committee are not enacted, the program will eventually close down, which would impact the upkeep and maintenance of the various agricultural locations and affect environmental science and biology classes.

“We have one horticulture teacher who has sent in his retirement papers,” said Department Chair of Agriculture & Natural Resource Leland Shapiro. “We need to hire one right away.”

The process by which the college enacts these proposals is a long road, said Donna Mae Villanueva, dean of academic affairs.

“Once the committee makes the recommendation, they send it to the Educational Planning Committee, then to the senate president,” Villanueva said.

After the recommendation reaches the senate president, she adds a motion to the agenda, and if approved, it is then sent to the college president who ultimately decides its fate, according to Villanueva.

Several plans were proposed in the 2014 follow-up to the original horticulture viability review committee report back in 2007. Those issues included the demolition and replacement of the run-down greenhouse and lathe house that were damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

In addition, the study examined the possible establishment of a business arrangement with Pierce’s Enterprise Office. Such an arrangement with the Enterprise Office can help establish the program as self-sufficient and able to provide students with hands-on job training.

The Horticulture Viability Study Committee is a senate-directed action to review that department and ensure that the college’s instructional supplies are used properly to fulfill the needs of the students.

A review was performed in March 2007 for this purpose, as outlined by the Pierce College Horticulture Viability Committee Report, published in May 2007.

A recommendation was made to replace the greenhouse with three standard industrial greenhouses and two bungalow-type classrooms identical to the classrooms in the Village.

The recent committee modification may lead the school