In a recent report released by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), College of DuPage has been accredited with not meeting two of their 21 Core Components and being subpar on four others. The college is now at risk of being sanctioned by the agency. We can’t say we’re surprised.

The report, which reads like a long list of every embarrassing and shameful incident that has occurred since the summer of last year, leaves nothing out. From the petty comments made by board members to the controversy over former President Robert Breuder’s buyout, it’s all there in black and white. After nearly 20 pages detailing COD’s various scandals, it states which Core Components the college meets and which it does not.

While the majority of what is detailed in the report is old news to us, this is definitely nothing to shrug off. The HLC is not just another organization pointing fingers at COD; if we are not accredited by the agency, it will affect all of us in the COD community.

For starters, without accreditation by the HLC, students planning on transferring to other colleges will have difficulty finding schools to accept their credits. COD is the first step for so many of its students down the long road to graduation, and the last thing they need is to spend more time and money in a classroom, re-taking the same courses they took here in order to get credit. While every mistake the administration has made could affect students, none has had a direct impact like this. And while, for the most part, students aren’t particularly concerned with the politics behind COD, this is an issue that ought to spark some interest.

In addition, while the report does make note that the board of trustees has worked on making improvements, especially with the removal of Breuder, there is still concern for their future. Being accused of mishandling the school’s finances and poorly constructing program reviews is not something to be taken lightly. The administration has already requested to debrief the HLC on the improvements made since their visit in July, hopefully eliminating some of the agency’s concerns that have already been addressed by the college. The question now is: have they done enough?

There is no denying that the college has improved since we said goodbye to Breuder. However, his impact, and that of the former board of trustees, is still there. No one expected things to get better overnight, which is why no one expected a perfect accreditation report either. Being reviewed by the HLC was only step one in a long process of gradual improvements. It’s important to keep in mind that making these changes and fixing mistakes is a journey. Now, there is an even greater incentive to accomplish just that.

If, worst-case scenario, the college is sanctioned, then there is a long road ahead for the administration in making COD the college it once was. Most likely, the school will be given a year to make its improvements and have their second attempt at meeting the HLC’s standards of excellence. If that happens, we can only hope that the administration pulls through and proves just how much the college has changed since last year. Until then, there’s still work to be done, and now more than ever it is crucial that the administration puts in the effort for the sake of the school.