Interim Pima Community College Provost Suzanne Miles sent an email out to the PCC governing board on the Higher Learning Commission's questions regarding the college's new admissions standards. She's coming to the board with recommendations and ask that that they reexamine the standards and how the college is preparing students:

From: Miles, Suzanne
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 11:52 AM
To:
Cc: Migler, Jerry
Subject: Recommendation on Placement Standards

Dear Members of the Board of Governors,

As you know, the Higher Learning Commission has raised serious questions regarding the College’s new admissions standards. The HLC report echoes concerns expressed by members of our community. These concerns persist, as we heard at the March 20, 2013 Board meeting.

Due to these circumstances, Provost Migler and I recommend suspension of the provisions in Admissions and Registration Standard Practice Guide 3501/AA requiring minimum levels on college assessment examinations.

At this time, we believe it would be in the best interests of the College to step back and re-examine how we ensure that our students are appropriately prepared for the rigors of college level work and equipped with the tools necessary to succeed. These goals were the primary motivations for revising the standards and we should take additional steps to make sure we are on the right track.

Prior to making this recommendation, the Provost and I consulted with the Faculty Senate earlier this week. Although the Faculty Senate unanimously supported the change to standards that were made, most Senators understand the wisdom of pausing to further consider this issue at this critical time.

We recommend the suspension remain in effect for the 2013-2014 academic year. This would allow sufficient time for the new Chancellor to get up to speed and weigh in on this important issue. We also feel that the work on the Prep Academy should continue because it provides a valuable service to our students and offers one means of improving student preparation, regardless of the admissions standard.

We are hoping to discuss these recommendations with you at your working session on March 25. In addition, we want to share a number of valuable suggestions from Faculty Senate, including the enforcement of pre-requisites and expanding access to our Student Success classes.

Respectfully, Suzanne & Jerry


Suzanne L. Miles, Ph.D.
Interim Chancellor