News
Luna contingent to meet with HLC representatives
Luna Community College will make its case for continued accreditation when a team of five college representatives visits Chicago on Aug. 12.
The Luna group — which will include President Dr. Rolando Rael, Chief Financial Officer Donna Flores-Medina, registrar Henrietta Romero, staff member Sierra Fernandez and Board of Trustees Chairman Daniel Romero — is due to meet with the Higher Learning Commission’s Institutional Action Council Hearing Committee.
The Aug. 12 meeting will give the Luna contingent an opportunity to discuss the college’s ongoing work to meet accreditation criteria and to remedy areas the HLC deemed as requiring improvement.
The college remains accredited by the HLC, as it has been since 1982.
In July 2018, Luna was upgraded to probationary status after having been issued a show-cause order the previous year. Since the initial show-cause order, a number of Luna employees have worked together to develop and enact plans for improvement in critical areas and otherwise.
A site-visit team from the HLC visited campus in March, meeting with various stakeholders and compiling an 87-page report. The team found that while Luna is meeting 18 of 21 core components for accreditation, the college has not met three, with several other core components found to meet “with concerns” the criteria established by the HLC.
In another round of collaborative work this summer, Luna faculty, staff and administrators — with input from students — worked to address issues raised in that report. The college submitted its formal response documenting the latest improvement strategies and actions on July 9. President Rael has hailed the response as an exemplary team effort on behalf of the college.
The HLC is to consider the written reports as well as this month’s face-to-face meeting as it makes a determination as to Luna’s accreditation status. That decision is expected by November.