Accreditation Planning Report Lake Michigan City College Presented to the Board of Directors

Lake Michigan City College is an accredited institution of higher education and learning. According to the United States Department of Education, The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. [Reference: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation.html#Overview] The Department of Education does not perform accrediting itself. Rather, accrediting is done by a group of agencies that the Department has determined to be reliable authorities on the quality of education and training provided by institutions. Lake Michigan City College is accredited by the regional agency North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Lake Michigan City College will undergo a formal review of its accreditation in 2006. The College considers this an opportunity to review the mission, goals, policies and operations of the entire College to be sure the community is being served in the best possible way. Accreditation is a major and serious undertaking as it affects the future of the College and, as a result, the future of the community as a whole. Therefore, a planning schedule is needed to be sure all requirements are met.
Overview
Lake Michigan City College is an open door institution which admits all high school graduates and anyone over 18 years of age who can benefit from the offerings of the College. The college mission statement defines transfer, vocational, adult education, and basic skills students as those we intend to serve.

Lake Michigan City College meets its mission to serve students through appropriate educational programs. Fifty academic programs and 75 certificate programs are offered in 38 vocational areas. Day, evening, weekend and online classes are offered to meet the diverse needs of those we serve. Alternative scheduling can also be arranged. Academic scheduling is based on the needs of students, the required sequencing, and offering a wide range of courses. The College is focused on providing the widest possible range of options for students to achieve their academic goals.
The integrity of the College is key to our mission and goals. The College presents complete and accurate information to students and the public via the College Web site, Catalog, Student Handbook, etc. Policies regarding non-discrimination, diversity, and sexual harassment are regularly reviewed and updated as needed. The College extensively and regularly reviews policies and regulations to ensure programs and services are consistent and consistently practiced.

Accreditation Planning Timeline 2/2005 3/2005 Planning coordinator appointed by President Accreditation Committee nominated by President Standards Committee appointed by Board of Directors Committees convene 4/2005 5/2005 8/2005 9/2005 1/2006 College Accreditation Officers receive training First draft reports issued by Standards and Accreditation Committees Accreditation Update Report issued College-wide Second draft reports issued by Standards and Accreditation Committees Second update report issued College-wide Reports submitted for final editing; distributed to Board of Directors Third update report issued College-wide NCACS Accreditation Team begins formal review

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