PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release April 5, 2011 Contact: Frances Squire Phone: (559) 934-2134 or 250-6389 West Hills Chancellor Gornick to serve on national education task force West Hills Community College District Chancellor Frank Gornick has been chosen to serve on the American Council on Education’s National Task Force on Institutional Accreditation “Your contributions and counsel in this vital area of work will be critical as we address higher education’s current challenge to balance public demands for accountability and transparency with academic autonomy for institutions and individuals,” Molly Corbett Broad, president of ACE, said in a note to Gornick announcing his selection “Given the ultimate goal of ensuring access to high quality postsecondary education for all students, the task force is charged to undertake a systematic review of institutional accreditation and recommend changes that can strengthen accreditation in the eyes of policy makers and institutions,” Broad said The task force will be co-chaired by Edward Ayers, president of the University of Richmond, and Robert M Berdahl, current president of the Association of American Universities and former chancellor of UC Berkeley Support for the Task Force will be provided by Gretchen Bataille, former president of the University of North Texas, and Terry Hartle, ACE’s senior vice president Panelists include experienced college and university presidents as well as leaders of regional accrediting groups Gornick has served in the top position at West Hills since 1994 He serves on the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges ### West Hills Community College District serves the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and is part of the California Community College System Its two colleges, West Hills College Coalinga, which includes North District Center, Firebaugh, and West Hills College Lemoore, serve more than 7,000 students on campus and online each semester