CONTACT:  JACKIE RUTLEDGE, 646-1338 or jrutledg@tctc.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                           7/8/2019

                                                                                                (By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON --- Tri-County Technical College’s Associate Degree Nursing program has been granted full, continuing accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The Board of Commissioners granted continuing program accreditation through fall 2026.

ACEN is a national accrediting body that provides accreditation to schools offering diploma, associate, bachelor's and post-bachelor's degrees.

Accreditation is a process that ensures all schools and programs are held to the same high-quality standards.

“We were reviewed by the ACEN Commission, and they gave us the highest recommendation -- continued accreditation for eight years,” said Jackie Rutledge, nursing department head. 

            Rutledge says the department submitted a self-study report in the spring of 2018 and it was followed by a three-day site visit from ACEN program evaluators in fall 2018.  “Following the self-study report and program site visit, the ACEN Board of Commissioners granted continuing accreditation for eight years to the associate degree nursing program,” she said. 

In their report, evaluators commended the program strengths which include compliance with all accreditation standards; compliance with all six standards that the program was evaluated on; and a Learning Commons that features a high-tech, modern library with a rich collection of online resources for students in the area that is historically underserved.     

-30-