By Natela Cutter
MONTEREY, Calif. – The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges acted to reaffirm the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center’s accreditation for another seven years in early June.
In a letter to the commandant of the institute, members of the ACCJC/WASC stated that the decision was made during their June 6-8 meeting where members reviewed DLIFLC’s Institutional Self Evaluation Report and evidentiary materials. This information was augmented by a peer review team that conducted an onsite visit March 5-8, in order to prepare an External Evaluation Team Report.
“The team found the Institute to be in compliance with ACCJC Eligibility Requirements, Commission Policies, and U.S. Department of Education regulations. The team found a number of innovative, student-centered, and effective programs and practices and thus issued a number of commendations to the Institute,” stated the External Evaluation Report, prepared by Dr. Jill Sterns.
The core purpose of accreditation is to assure the public that institutions are meeting specific standards to achieve their stated educational mission.
“I am extremely pleased that our institute’s regional accreditation was reaffirmed. The reaffirmation process is rigorous and the outstanding results confirms the quality of foreign language education that we provide to our service members,” said DLIFLC Provost Dr. Robert Savukinas.
The final report included seven commendations: Extremely clear mission that drives planning; strong student learning and achievement – focused programs with program-level learning outcomes; Sensing Sessions for student feedback; holistic student support, including Military Language Instructors as essential support for students; professional development opportunities for faculty and staff; shared governance structures and practices; and the Board of Visitors in providing relevant support to promote constructive change.
The Commission also provided recommendations to DLIFLC consistent with its mission to foster continuous improvement through peer review, to include: reviewing the processes used to identify and allocate resources to support institutional needs inclusive of curriculum; ensuring that data collected is distributed in a consistent manner to inform decision-making; strengthening integration of program review, evaluation, and planning; and regularly assessing library resources for their effectiveness and contribution to student learning outcomes.
As a regionally accredited institution, DLIFLC graduates can earn an Associate of Arts degree in foreign language. The institute currently offers AA degrees in 17 foreign languages and enrolls approximately 2,500 military service members annually. The institute’s mission drives its academic and training programs for military linguists throughout their careers.