Statement of Rationale for Judgment of Compliance

Palo Alto College's recruitment materials and presentations are designed to reflect the Mission of the College which is, “to inspire, empower, and educate our community for leadership and success.” All depictions both hard copy and electronic fulfill the requirements for accuracy both in practice and policy of the College.

The structure for compliance is as follows:

1. Recruitment materials align with the institutional mission and strategic plan of providing our community with access to higher education.  
2. Palo Alto College provides prospective students with clear, concise, and factually accurate information reflective of Palo Alto College.
3. Policies and procedures are in place to ensure that materials are properly vetted and reviewed prior to dissemination.
4. Materials are made available in print, electronic, and digital media formats.

Serving a historically under-resourced population, the College embraces its commitment to both create and promote a college-going culture in the surrounding communities. This commitment is mirrored in Strategic Goal I: Empowering students for success of the Palo Alto College Strategic Plan[1], which specifically prioritizes recruitment and enrollment from underrepresented student populations. Paramount to Palo Alto College is accurately and appropriately reflecting the programs offered, support services available, the student body, and the College’s Mission within recruitment materials including the General Information Brochure[2], Enrollment Checklist[3],and Recruitment Presentations (English [4]and Spanish[5]).

The College follows College Procedure A 9.0 Approval of Publications[6], which mandates that all recruitment materials be approved by the College’s Office of Public Relations. The College also follows College Procedure A 11.0 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Statement on Publications[7], which requires that all recruitment materials include a statement regarding the College’s accreditation status. Additionally, the Marketing Council provides oversight of this information and makes recommendations as necessary.  Since many of the College’s prospective students are the first in their family to pursue higher education, it is vital that the College use a variety of outlets to introduce and educate its audience about the opportunities available. These outlets include direct mail[8], web presence[9], and electronic communication[10]. Samples of additional enrollment and marketing resources:

• Recruitment and Outreach Events Palm Card[11]
• Veterinary Technology Program Brochure[12]                    
• Honors Program Brochure[13]           
• Acceptance Letter[14] and Acceptance Packet[15]
• New Student Orientation Inserts[16]

As articulated in Board Policy A.1.1[17], the College District is known by the assumed names of “Alamo Colleges” and “Alamo Colleges District” or the “Alamo Community College District.” References to these assumed names in the narrative and any supporting documentation are equivalent.