Shaping the Dialogue The primary purpose of an ACCJC-accredited
institution is to foster learning in its students. An effective
institution ensures that its resources and processes support
student learning, continuously assesses that learning, and
pursues institutional excellence and improvement. An effective
institution maintains an ongoing, self- reflective dialogue
about its quality and improvement. An institution-wide dialogue
must be at the heart of the self-evaluation process for the
college community to gain a comprehensive perspective of the
institution. Although the standards are presented in four parts,
they work together to facilitate this dialogue on the
institution’s effectiveness and on ways in which it may improve.
The self study provides the Commission with the institution’s
assessment of itself as a whole. The institutional mission
provides the impetus for achieving student learning and other
goals that the institution endeavors to accomplish. The
institution provides the means for students t