CBT: The College Brain Trust

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CBT Case Studies

Modesto Junior College

Accreditation Issues
Integrated Planning

SITUATION

At the point Modesto Junior College requested assistance from The College Brain Trust, the college was on probation with the ACCJC and faced the daunting task of documenting integrated planning and linking it back to their budget at a demonstrated level of sustain­able continuance.

The college had a very short period of time to respond to the Commission’s recommendations, did not have the in-house expertise needed to negotiate the planning process, and—according to President Richard Rose—while everyone there was willing to listen and to do whatever they needed to do to respond, they felt overwhelmed.

CBT Consultants Eva Conrad and Julie Hatoff teamed up to assist the College. The first thing they noticed was that Modesto’s faculty, staff, and administrators were hard-working, dedicated professionals who were open to ideas that would benefit students.

CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

Julie Hatoff remembers, “The problems at hand were broad and diffuse, and yet the Modesto team had a strong consensus about the need to get back on track and have their accreditation reaffirmed.”

Eva agrees, and noted that despite the fact that MJC was on a tight timeline to respond to accreditation recommendations, everyone pulled in the same direction to create new processes for planning, motivated by the vision of their students.She says, “This was no small task...and represented an impressive display of hard work and attention to the details that make a difference.”

STRATEGIC APPROACH

Because there was so little time to respond to the Commission’s recommendations, Hatoff and Conrad initially focused on steeping themselves in everything from the bricks and mortar of the college, to the culture, to the issues highlighted by the Commission. From the very beginning, collaboration was the heartbeat of their strategic approach. “Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration,” says Eva. “That’s the only approach that ever creates sustainable change.”

Once on-campus the team focused on actively listening and reorganizing what the college told them that they needed into a framework of design that was, as Julie says, “ . . . both livable and memorable. A product that worked and functioned in a form that was beautiful. We had to synthesize what we had heard from an objective perspective while holding what the ACCJC wanted, and balancing it with what the internal stakeholders want and need. It was hard work, and worthwhile.”

OUTCOME & REFLECTIONS

According to Chancellor Roe Darnell, CBT did more than help MJC navigate the complex process of responding to ACCJC recommendations, create an integrated plan and respond to Accreditation issues. “More importantly,” he says, “Eva and Julie helped us put our plans in action by leaving us with new ways of working with one another. They helped the college restructure itself around process issues and rethink its governance structures so that the college can avoid conflicts and make better, more informed decisions.”

In the long run, it is that gift of being able to work together more collaboratively as an institution that will make the most lasting impact at Modesto Junior College.

Julie reflects, “When you facilitate planning you want the community willing to sustain and implement the plan. You never want a façade masking over broken down structures. In Modesto’s case, the Commission realized the progress they made and their achievements. Eva and I felt like the college also had a transformative experience in the process.”

President Richard Rose couldn’t agree more. "This is the best thing that has happened to MJC in a long, long time. CBT left a lasting imprint on how to approach accreditation, how to respond to recommendations and what institutional effectiveness is all about. This has been excellent exposure to outstanding community college leadership. I personally will never forget the legacy CBT has given to MJC and how you helped us restore our credibility with our external regulatory commission.”

For the full Modesto Junior College Accolade click here.