Woodland Hills : El Camino Editorial Irks Pierce Officials

Pierce College officials are protesting an editorial in El Camino Real High School’s student newspaper calling the two-year institution a “risky choice” academically for college-bound students.

The editorial says that because of Pierce’s accreditation problems, students at that institution may have trouble in the future transferring to four-year schools.

Pierce College officials said Thursday that the editorial, written by El Camino senior Hooman Hakim, is filled with factual errors, and demanded a correction.

“Pierce College is strong and viable and a great benefit for people in the community,” said Richard Follett, president of Pierce College’s Academic Senate. “Students should have no fear” in attending Pierce.

He said the editorial contained several errors. “We have an excellent college,” which has the third-highest rate of transfers to four-year colleges among all the community colleges in the state, he said.

Follett said officials fear that the editorial could cause a decrease in enrollment of students from El Camino, a major feeder school.

Pierce College remains accredited. Last year, however, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges delayed renewing the college’s accreditation and, in what amounted to a warning, gave the institution time to address continuing financial, enrollment and leadership problems, among other things. The commission ordered Pierce to report in writing by May 1, 1996, and again by Nov. 1, 1997, on the institution’s progress in resolving these problems.

Carol Rand, El Camino’s journalism teacher and newspaper advisor, said she would review the matter, and that the paper would print a correction if it is deemed necessary.