NACEP grants accreditation to ECC's dual credit enrollment program

Elgin Community College has earned accreditation for its dual enrollment program. Through the Accreditation Commission of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, ECC is only the second college in Illinois to receive the recognition. NACEP is the nation's only accrediting body for these unique and impactful educational partnerships.

"NACEP accreditation is the gold star in dual credit programming," said Peggy Heinrich, EdD, vice president of teaching, learning, and student development. "It means that students who take one of our classes for dual credit in their high school or on ECC's campus can be confident the course is equivalent in quality and rigor to other ECC courses." Receiving NACEP accreditation means an institution has met the nation's most rigorous standard in concurrent enrollment program development, management, and evaluation across multiple, multifaceted program areas.

To earn accreditation, dual credit programs conduct a self-study, document how their programs adhere to the commission's 16 standards, and undergo a rigorous peer-review process conducted by a team of representatives from NACEP accredited programs as well as the members of the NACEP Accreditation Commission. Seven new institutions were granted accreditation through NACEP, bringing the total number of NACEP-accredited programs across the country to 133, spanning 26 states.

"This represents a deep investment of time, energy, and resources," said Heinrich. "ECC and the four public school districts in District 509 have partnered with the Alliance for College and Career Student Success to establish a dual-credit program of the highest quality. This accreditation shows we have established a program of excellence."

To learn more about ECC's dual credit program, visit elgin.edu/dualcredit.

For more information on the Accreditation Commission of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, visit nacep.org.