Accreditation - Hartnell College!!

Institutional Self Evaluation – 12-05-12
recommendations that resulted in avoiding deficit spending even as funds to the college were cut.
Thus the college continued to reduce spending. Revenue increases were indirect in the form of
increased productivity and direct in the utilization of private and public grants to continue to
meet the mission of the college. Because seeking and administering grants has become part of
the Hartnell College culture, a regular grant report is presented to the Resource Allocation
Committee. The 2012-2013 budget does reflect some deficit spending, as the commitment to
serve our community, and maintain a FTE count close to the previous year came forth as a desire
from faculty, students, administration, classified, and the Board. Finally, it is worth noting that,
at the time of this report, all constituent groups have current contracts, thus there is evidence of
sustaining the goals stated in 2007, even in the time of a state economic crisis.
Recommendation 7
The team recommends that the Board of Trustees completes their Ethics Policy by developing procedures
for sanctioning those who commit ethical violations, and that they develop a comprehensive trustee
development plan that provides training focused upon appropriate board behavior, roles and
responsibilities. (Standards IV.B.1.a; IV.B.1.e; IV.B.1.f; IV.B.1.g; IV.B.1.h)
Resolution of Recommendation 7: It was stated in the report to the commission dated October
9, 2008, ―At its September 13, 2007, meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously adopted an
ethics policy that includes procedures for sanctioning members who violate those policies.‖ In
January 2008, we received a letter from the commission moving Hartnell College from probation
to warning status.
Ongoing Actions Related to Recommendation 7: Board development meetings continued from
2007 to present, scheduled at least 6 times a year, with meeting minutes posted on the website
for review. The meeting in March 15, 2011 the development activity focus was the Brown Act
and Ethics, evidence of ongoing Ethics training. There was also an ethics training session in
2012 that was open to the Board and all College constituents. This was well attended. New
Board members are provided training material from the CCLC, and they attend training
conferences sponsored by the same group. Board development is now an ongoing process that
has been sustained since Hartnell College and their probationary status removed. Topics at these
sessions have included:
Goal setting – demonstrating the Board working as a unit;
Budgeting – showing the Board‘s interest in fiscal responsibility; and
Accreditation – evidence of the Board‘s active interest in the institutional self
evaluation process.
The Board conducted a self evaluation in November 2011 as part of their ongoing improvement
plan. There is ongoing demonstrated commitment to evaluation and development.
Commission Concern 1
The Commission asks Hartnell College to demonstrate the way in which it meets and commits to
continuing to meet Eligibility Requirement 21 which required the institution to…comply with
Commission requests, directives, decisions, and policies, and…make complete, accurate, and
honest disclosure.
Page 53