City College of San Francisco Spared Sanctions by Accreditor

City College of San Francisco’s accreditation is getting something of a reprieve.

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges had placed the college on “enhanced monitoring” over its troubled finances for a third year in October 2022, opening its accreditation to sanctions.

Sanctions could seriously hinder the college’s recovery from the pandemic, and set the stage for a battle reminiscent of the one between the ACCJC and CCSF ten years ago.

However, the ACCJC notified the college on Jan. 26 that it chose to forego the sanctions.

“The deferral action by the commission indicates their desire to see continued and ongoing progress and evidence of meeting the standards, specifically related to ongoing financial viability and long-term solvency,” CCSF Chancellor David Martin wrote in a Jan. 30 letter to the college community.

The ACCJC voted in early January to defer action because a comprehensive peer review of the college will be held in the spring and information and presentations given by college officials about addressing financial conditions.

“The commission appreciates the constructive steps the institution has taken to address fiscal stability and ensure ongoing viability for the students you serve,” the ACCJC letter states.

ACCJC commissioners instructed the peer review team that will assess the college to focus on compliance with matters related to financial oversight and institutional planning.

In 2013, the ACCJC voted to revoke the college's accreditation if instruction and governance changes weren’t made. The impact would have harmed CCSF because unaccredited schools are ineligible for state and federal funding. It took four years for the college to emerge from the dispute.

The ACCJC required that CCSF also submit a plan to address financial conditions at its next meeting.