[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 21 (Friday, February 17, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E177-E178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REGARDING THE INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO REQUIRE ACCREDITING AGENCIES 
      AND ASSOCIATIONS TO COMPLY WITH DUE PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE 
                         ACCREDITATION PROCESS

                                 ______
                                 

                    HON. JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 16, 2006

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, according to recent reports, 46 
percent of all U.S. undergraduates are enrolled in a community college. 
Community college is an important alternative for our students, 
especially minority students. Over 47 percent of African

[[Page E178]]

American undergraduates, 56 percent of Hispanic undergraduates, 48 
percent of Asian/Pacific Islander undergraduates, and 57 percent of 
Native American undergraduates are enrolled in community colleges.
  Why do community colleges serve an increasingly vital role to the 
students in our districts?
  For many students, tuition to a 4-year college or university is 
prohibitively expensive. Community college tuition is at least one-
tenth that of 4-year colleges and often maintain transfer relationships 
with nearby colleges and universities.
  For others, financial constraints require students to work long hours 
at one or more full-time jobs while attending school. Community 
colleges provide more lenient enrollment requirements that allow 
students to attend school around their work schedules and attain a 
degree, albeit in longer than the traditional 4-year time frame.
  For still others, community college offers students the ability to 
obtain technical and vocational training while enrolled in academic 
courses for credit toward an associate degree.
  In short, community colleges offer the flexibility and accessibility 
that are essential to ensuring that all of our students, not just the 
ones who are able to attend 4-year colleges and universities, obtain 
postsecondary educations.
  Public community colleges receive 40 percent of their revenue from 
State funds and 5 percent from Federal funds. Over 37 percent of 
community college students receive financial aid of some kind.
  These funding sources are dependent on the school maintaining its 
accreditation. It would then make sense that any attempts to revoke 
accreditation would be highly regulated and easily appealed.
  This is not the case in my district. Compton Community College is in 
grave danger of losing its accreditation. One would think that school 
officials would have received fair and adequate notice of the 
deficiencies that may lead to its loss of accreditation. One would 
think that a thorough due process standard would apply to any attempts 
to appeal a decision to revoke accreditation. One would think that the 
community at large would be able to attend a public hearing where the 
fate of their community treasure would be decided. One would think all 
of these things, but the fact is that none of these standards apply.
  That is why I have introduced a bill that will strengthen the due 
process available to community colleges nationwide that face threats of 
accreditation revocation.
  Community colleges are community treasures. Accreditation boards 
should be doing all they can to keep community colleges alive, rather 
than taking steps to summarily cement their failure. In the event that 
a determination is made to revoke accreditation, every school in this 
Nation should have access to a full and fair review of their cases and 
every member of the community should have the ability to witness and 
participate in the process. This bill will strengthen those rights.
  Electing to close down a community college, which is what loss of 
accreditation effectively means, is a serious decision and it must be 
accompanied by serious oversight. That is what this bill will put in 
place.

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