By: Shaun Harper | Forbes
Compton College was in serious trouble. Because of significant financial problems and reports of corruption on its governing board, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges revoked the institution’s accreditation in 2005. It took 12 years to get it back. There’s a real chance that reaccreditation wouldn’t have happened had its trustees not hired Keith Curry in 2011 to serve as the College’s 12th president. This proved to be a really smart business decision.
“What Dr. Curry and the Compton College community accomplished in regaining ACCJC accreditation isn’t a miracle – it’s instead a testament to what excellent, focused leadership and a dedicated college that wants to serve its community can do when they work together,” says Pasadena City College President Erika A. Endrijonas.
Since Curry became its CEO, Compton has completed nearly $118 million in renovations and new building construction projects. He also has secured over $250 million for additional construction and student success initiatives. In impressive fashion, Curry has drastically improved the institution’s business affairs while simultaneously establishing it as a nationally-recognized leader on equity in higher education. “Racial Equity is essential for me as we change the policies, practices, systems, and structures of Compton College,” he explains. “We can’t continue to do business as usual because the student population we serve today is different than the one that was here in 1927 when Compton Junior College was founded.”
Read the full article on forbes.com.