Board disapproves Concord Career College schedule; finds terms fall short of 10‑week instruction requirement

The Dental Hygiene Board’s education committee voted to recommend disapproval of Concord Career College’s request to accept its existing nine‑week‑plus‑finals term schedule for dental hygiene programs at Garden Grove, San Bernardino and San Diego.

The committee’s motion to disapprove was seconded and carried after extended discussion of academic‑year and quarter definitions in the California Code of Regulations. Board staff presented the board’s position that a quarter (and a community college term deemed equivalent to a quarter) requires at least 10 weeks of instruction and that final exam days in Concord’s current schedule were recorded as part of “lecture 10” in prior materials.

Concord representatives argued the programs meet or exceed minimum contact hours and that the schedule is an established accelerated model used by adult learners. Attorney Edward Kramp said the programs have historically operated in the 9‑plus schedule and that students plan their lives around accelerated terms; program director Kimberly Pennington said the institution can schedule instruction in the final week alongside finals to preserve study time.

Board reviewers said Concord’s posted schedules showed nine weeks of instruction with finals during the 10th week, a pattern that left the term short of the 10 full weeks the board requires for a quarter/term. “A quarter means at least 10 weeks of instruction,” board staff reminded the committee, citing 16 CCR §11.03(z) and related provisions used in the board’s academic year definition.

Faculty and student statements collected during site visits raised concerns about the compressed schedule’s effects on learning and student wellbeing. The committee debated the provenance and timing of several anonymous letters from Concord faculty; staff said the letters were unsolicited and included in the meeting materials.

The committee’s motion recommended disapproval of Concord’s current academic schedule; staff said Concord submitted a separate modification request that would revert the program back to a 10‑week instructional schedule with appropriate inter‑term breaks and that the board and staff would continue to work with Concord ahead of compliance deadlines.

Votes at a glance: The education committee recommended disapproval; roll call recorded ayes from Michael Long, Sherman King, Justin Matthews, Joanne Pacheco and Lehi Lolly Tribble Agarwal. The motion passed.