COD Preps Follow-up Report for Accrediting Commission

Report Expected to go to Report for Accrediting Commission in March

PALM DESERT — College of the Desert is Preparing Follow-Up Report to Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) for the purpose of demonstrating resolution of deficiencies cited by the Commission last year. The Follow-Up Report reflects the nature and substance of the College, as well as its best efforts to align with ACCJC Standards and policies and was developed with appropriate participation and review by the campus community, according to a news release

This report will be reviewed by the Peer Review Team, led by Dr. Tim Karas, Superintendent/President of Mendocino College, who is scheduled to conduct a validation visit on Monday, April 6, according to a confidential    source familiar with the process.

Following the last site visit, the college maintained its full accreditation. However, the team recommended improvements regarding the Board of Trustees standards. In these cases, a follow-up visit typically occurs 18 months later to evaluate progress. If the recommendations are met, the ACCJC generally grants the maximum accreditation term of eight years.

“From my vantage point, the board made these improvements a central priority,” the source told Uken Report. “I have been impressed by the commitment of all Trustees to meet or exceed these recommendations. Next week, the college’s Accreditation Liaison Officer, Joy Cowden (Vice President of Instruction), will submit a formal follow-up report.”

The report details how COD has addressed three specific ACCJC standards related to Board governance, including the requirement that the Board act as a collective entity, conduct rigorous self-evaluations, and fully delegate administrative authority to the Superintendent/President without interference.

Since 2023, the Board of Trustees has revised key board policies, participated in scenario-based legal training, conducted a candid public self-evaluation facilitated by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), and established a permanent Board Continuous Improvement Committee to sustain accountability over time.

“This report reflects a genuine cultural transformation in how our Board governs,” said COD Superintendent/President Val Martinez Garcia. “Our Trustees have embraced what it means to lead with one unified voice, to trust administrative leadership, and to hold themselves accountable through honest self-reflection. That kind of disciplined governance is what our students and our community deserve.”

Highlights of the report include a unanimous 5-0 Board vote affirming President Garcia’s employment agreement, updated ethics and delegation policies codifying clear boundaries between governance and operations, and a structured self-evaluation process that directly informed Board training priorities.

College of the Desert most recently underwent a comprehensive institutional review in 2024, which included submission of its Institutional Self-Evaluation Report and a peer review team visit in September 2024. In January 2025, ACCJC reaffirmed the College’s accreditation for 18 months and required submission of a Follow-Up Report addressing three governance standards. ACCJC accreditation operates on a regular multi-year cycle that includes institutional self-evaluation, peer review, Commission action, and ongoing monitoring as needed.

The Follow-Up Report has been reviewed by the College’s shared governance leaders, including the Academic Senate, Classified Staff, and Associated Student Government, and will be submitted to ACCJC in March 2026.