Flint Hills Technical College has been recommended for accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission, a goal the school has been working toward for three years.
The recommendation came Wednesday, after members of the commission wrapped up a three-day visit to the technical college. If the school gets accredited, its students will be able to transfer class credits more easily between the technical college and the state’s public universities.
“This is going to be a door-opener,” said Steve Loewen, the technical college’s dean of instructional services, in an interview this morning. “It says the quality here is the same as the quality at any four-year university. We knew that, but we needed that stamp of approval.”
The final decision will come at the end of January after a Higher Learning Commission hearing in Chicago. If approved, the accreditation would be good through 2012.
The technical college has been accredited by the Council on Occupational Education since it separated from the Emporia school district in 2003. The college began seeking HLC accreditation the same year.
The Higher Learning Commission is part of the North Central Association of Colleges and School. It certifies community colleges and four-year institutions in a 19-state region. Emporia State University also holds HLC accreditation.
tknaak (inactive user) says...
"... students will be able to transfer class credits more easily between the technical college and the state’s public universities."
What I remember you can't transfer FHTC credits to ESU, so "more easily" is kind of an exaggeration, but I could be wrong.
October 6, 2006 at 11:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )