City College administrators can take a deep breath now: the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges reaffirmed the school’s accreditation for another six years on Feb. 3.

For student credits to be transferable, they must be earned from an accredited entity such as City College. Each entity is evaluated every six years to make sure it is up to par with state and federal regulations. If an entity does not get reaffirmed, it could be put on probation and may eventually lose accreditation.

Over four days in October, 10 members of the commission visited City College and conducted their evaluation.

During the visit, the team met with numerous faculty, staff, administrators, members of the governing board, and students. The team chair met with members of the governing board, the president of the college, the district chancellor and various district administrators.

The team also visited classes and conducted two open meetings to allow for comment from any member of the campus or local community.

In their report, the commission said “the college was well prepared for the accreditation team visit. The visiting team was welcomed by a friendly and engaged college community.”

They added that “those who attended the open forums with the visiting team spoke highly about the quality of educational opportunities and the dedication of faculty, classified staff, and administrators.”

In an e-mail to faculty and staff sent on Feb. 4, City College President Terrence Burgess gave them credit for the accreditation results. “Thank you all for the outstanding work you do as reflected in the Accreditation Commission’s positive action,” he wrote.

The two other colleges in the San Diego Community College District – Miramar and Mesa – also had their accreditation confirmed, but Miramar’s reaffirmation came with a warning. The commission warned Miramar administrators “to take action to solve excessive turnover in its administrative leadership.”

District Chancellor Constance Carroll told the San Diego Union Tribune she is pleased with the accreditation results and mentioned it is not unusual for reports from the commission to come with a sanction.

“We’re thrilled that our colleges all made it through the process in such a wonderful fashion,” Carroll said. “Miramar retains its accreditation. It just needs to take care of this issue.”