Accreditation is the process of ensuring and reviewing the quality of higher education institutions. Institutional accreditation is a comprehensive review by a private, nongovernmental organization specifically created to review higher education institutions and programs for quality.
NDSCS is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) through the Open Pathway which is focused on quality assurance and institutional improvement. The Open Pathway is unique in that its improvement component, the Quality Initiative, affords institutions the opportunity to pursue improvement projects that meet their current needs and aspirations. The Open Pathway follows a ten-year cycle.
Higher Learning Commission
30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 2400
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312) 263-0456 or 1-800-621-7440
www.hlcommission.org
NDSCS also holds the following accreditations by program academic emphasis:
Auto Body Repair and Refinishing Technology – Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) at the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, Inc. (NATEF), 101 Blue Seal Drive SE, Suite 101, Leesburg, VA 20175, Phone: 703-669-6650
Automotive Technology – Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Master Automobile Service Technology Level at the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, Inc. (NATEF), 101 Blue Seal Drive SE, Suite 101, Leesburg, VA 20175, Phone: 703-669-6650
Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting – Accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611-2678, Phone: 312-440-4653, www.ada.org/en/coda
Diesel Technology – Associated Equipment Distributors, Inc., 650 E. Algonquin Rd., Suite 305, Schaumburg, IL 60173, Phone: 630-574-0650
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) - Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 25400 U.S. Highway 19 North, Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763, Phone: 727-210-2354, www.caahep.org. To contact CoAEMSP: 8301 Lakeview Parkway Suite 111-312, Rowlett, TX 75088, Phone: 214-703-8445, Fax: 214-703-8992, www.coaemsp.org
Health Information – The Health Information Management accreditor of NDSCS is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) (www.cahiim.org). All inquiries about the program’s accreditation status should be directed by mail to CAHIIM, 2233 N. Michigan Avenue, 21st Floor, Chicago, IL 60601. Phone: 312-233-1134. Email: info@cahiim.org
Occupational Therapy Assistant – Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, ACOTE’s telephone number, C/O AOTA, is 301-652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org
Pharmacy Technician – Jointly accredited by American Society of Health System Pharmacists, 4500 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, Phone: 866-279-0681, www.ashp.org and Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 135 S LaSalle Street, Suite 4100, Chicago, IL 60603. Phone: 312-664-3575, www.acpe-accredit.org
Practical Nursing – Accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326, Phone: 404-975-5000, www.acenursing.org, and has full approval by the North Dakota Board of Nursing (NDBON), 919 South 7th Street, Suite 504, Bismarck, ND 58504-5881. Phone: 701-328-9777, www.ndbon.org
Registered Nursing (ASN and AAS) – Initial accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326. Phone: 404-975-5000, www.acenursing.org, and have full approval by the North Dakota Board of Nursing (NDBON), 919 South 7th Street, Suite 504, Bismarck, ND 58504-5881. Phone: 701-328-9777, www.ndbon.org