SAN FRANCISCO—The question over the accreditation status of the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) has been settled, with the decision of a regional commission to uphold its accreditation revocation ruling of 2013.

The July 8 decision comes approximately six months after a judge ordered a regional branch of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges commission to re-evaluate its initial 2013 accreditation revocation for the school.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera argued for the commission’s original decision to be overruled in favor of a more fair decision. The 2013 revocation was based on findings that determined CCSF’s governance and financial issues.

Students of CCSF raise a banner to protest the school's loss of accreditation.
Students of CCSF raise a banner to protest the school’s loss of accreditation.

CCSF as of now remains accredited thanks the prolongation of the original accreditation termination date of July 31, 2014.

The school has also been granted a two-year long restoration period to better meet accreditation standards. The final ruling regarding the fate of CCSF’s accreditation status will come at the end of that period, on January 2017.

CCSF’s accreditation revocation has prompted the school to take extra measures to recuperate the loss of enrollment. The school reports that since the beginning of its drawn-out fight for accreditation, enrollment has seen a noticeable dip, though the total number of enrolled students is still up from previous years.

City College spokesperson Jeff Hamilton expressed his belief that the college will see a 3 percent increase in enrollment this academic year. To help, the school has been active in promoting its one-of-a-kind curricula that includes courses in furniture-making, motorcycle maintenance, and ethical hacking.

CCSF was founded back in 1935. It is a part of the San Francisco Community College District and the California Community Colleges System. Aside from its main campus on Ocean Avenue, it consists of 10 other satellite campuses throughout the San Francisco area.