Community colleges: accreditation.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges under the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, which consists of 16 voting members and one nonvoting member, as specified. Existing law requires the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to establish minimum conditions entitling a community college district to receive state aid for the support of the community colleges. This bill would require the board of governors, in determining whether a community college district satisfies those minimum conditions, to review the accreditation status of the community colleges within that district. Under its existing regulatory authority, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges requires each community college to be accredited and has designated the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges as the accrediting agency. This bill would require the accrediting agency of the community colleges to report to the appropriate subcommittees of the Legislature upon the agency's issuance of a decision that affects the accreditation status of a community college and, on a biannual basis, any accreditation policy changes that affect the accreditation process or status for a community college.