CPTC Receives Approval for 7-Year Reaccreditation

Clover Park Technical College received confirmation Jan. 29 of its reaffirmation of accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

The accreditation process included a three-day on-site evaluation in October by a seven-member team of faculty and administrators from regional colleges. The evaluation team met with various campus groups to gain a better understanding of the college. Open forums were held for students, faculty, college staff and administrators.

“Being regionally accredited is the ‘gold-standard’ for higher education institutions,” CPTC President Dr. Lonnie L. Howard said. “This is great news for our college and even better news for our students.”

The peer evaluation report provided by the accreditation team commended CPTC for the beauty of its campuses and for the culture of respect for students created by faculty, administration, staff and students. They also commended the college’s strong connection and support of the local and state business and industry community, and for the library faculty and staff creating collaborative, welcoming and program-supportive services. CPTC’s technology, support, equipment and facilities that enhance student learning and workforce preparedness were also commended, along with the quality instruction that enhances student commitment to learning and prepares students for successful transition to the workplace.

CPTC was first granted accreditation through NWCCU in 1999. The status demonstrates adherence to quality standards and allows the college to receive federal aid for students. The commission is an independent non-profit organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It is the regional authority on educational quality and institutional effectiveness of higher-education institutions in the seven-state Northwest region of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.