North Arkansas College (Northark) has earned accreditation from HVAC Excellence, an industry organization that establishes national standards for institutions that offer education in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR).
“We are proud to be granted accreditation for our HVACR training program,” said Northark President Dr. Rick Massengale, Sr. “Having outside, expert reviewers ensures us we are delivering a superior educational experience from our faculty to the student to the employers who hire them. Lead instructor Jeff Smith has developed and delivers a program that has students ready to go to work when they complete this curriculum, this accreditation reinforces the quality being delivered in both the classroom and the field.”
Northark sought programmatic accreditation for its HVACR program. Programmatic accreditation is an independent, third-party review of an education program, comparing it to established, industry-accepted standards. These standards are designed to ensure that the future workforce receives the quality training required for success in the HVACR industry.
To pursue this accreditation, the college completed a detailed, comprehensive self-study that demonstrated compliance with each of the required standards. The self-study was then sent to HVAC Excellence, where an accreditation review board thoroughly assessed the submission.
The accreditation review board, having approved the self-study, sent a team to conduct an intense onsite review of the program. Upon a thorough review of all the documentation presented by the administration, faculty, and the onsite accreditation team, the HVAC Excellence accreditation review board unanimously decided to grant accreditation of the program.
As a nationally accredited institution, Northark can assure prospective students and employer partners that the institution’s HVACR program has met or exceeded national standards and has the resources and administrative support to professionally train the workforce.
Additionally, the accreditation helps enhance student placement and employer satisfaction, and may lead to advanced placement opportunities with major employers in the HVACR industry.
Northark will begin enrolling new students for the spring 2024 semester November 27, 2023. For more information about Northark’s HVACR program or to enroll in classes, visit www.northark.edu.