UAM-CTC Receives National Accreditation

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  The University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-Crossett has been granted national accreditation by the Council on Occupational Education, according to Linda Rushing, vice chancellor of UAM-CTC.

   The accreditation announcement was made by Stephen Franks, chairman of the COE executive committee, following the Commission’s recent meeting in Hot Springs.

   Accreditation is based on an evaluation to determine whether the institution meets not only the standards of quality of the Commission, but also the needs of students, the community and employers, Rushing said.

   The Commission’s evaluation process included an extensive self-study by the institution and an intensive review by a visiting team of professional educators representing the Commission’s member institutions from other states.

   UAM-CTC began its self-study in December 2003 and underwent a team visit in February 2005 led by visiting team chairperson, Harry Bowman of Clermont, Fla. Bowman was the former executive director of the Council on Occupational Education.

   The COE, based in Atlanta, Ga., offers quality assurance services to postsecondary workforce education providers across the nation. Organized as a non-profit corporation, the mission of the Council is to assure quality and integrity in career and workforce development. Services offered include institution accreditation (recognized by the U. S. Department of Education), program quality reviews for states and workforce education providers, and informational services. Most of the Council’s work is carried out by qualified professional volunteers who are experts in workforce education.

   Institutional membership in the Council is voluntary, but can be achieved only by becoming accredited. Members include units of colleges and universities, postsecondary public technical institutes, specialized military and national defense schools, corporate and industry education units, private career schools, non-profit workforce education providers, and federal agency institutions. No other agency accredits and serves the diversity of organizations served by the Council. There are over 400 institutional members at the present time.

   “Receiving accreditation by the Council on Occupational Education is very rewarding because it validates our efforts to provide quality education and workforce preparation,” Rushing said. “This goal could not have been accomplished without the dedication and hard work of the faculty and staff and Janie Carter, who served as the COE liaison and self-study coordinator.”

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