The Demise and Resurrection of Compton Community College: How Loss of Accreditation Can Lead to a New Beginning

摘要

This article is a personal faculty perspective regarding academic accreditation. It describes the psychological process and consequences of losing accreditation. Compton Community College was one of the oldest community colleges in California and has served a diverse population of students for over 50 years. As a result of severe administrative and financial problems, the college's accreditation became jeopardized and was actually terminated in August 2006 by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT). The college is now considered a district and has developed a partnership with El Camino Community College. In this article we discuss how the faculty responded to the process of closure and how it experienced the psychological stages of death and dying. Finally addressed is the need for hope to regain autonomy and independence in the future.