Education Department completes successful accreditation visit
CHADRON – The Chadron State College Education program hosted a successful virtual accreditation from a Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) peer review team April 19-21. The visit was originally intended to be a face-to-face visit on campus, but was changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Randy Rhine, President of CSC, said he couldn’t imagine a more challenging time for an accreditation site visit.
Although CSC is not aware of the number of stakeholders who participated in virtual video interviews with the CAEP team, the college does know there was a good turnout including school superintendents and supervising teachers, according to Interim Dean of Professional Studies and Applied Sciences Dr. Margaret Crouse.
Crouse said the CAEP peer review team members, who came from similar sized campuses, mostly in the western U.S., were impressed with CSC’s year-long student teaching program and special education apprenticeship.
“These programs demonstrate that CSC is truly a partner with regional schools,” Crouse said. “The CSC faculty and staff did a good job preparing for the visit. We are actively engaged with continuous improvement.”
The CAEP committee offered two suggestions, one about a more focused recruiting plan for diverse students, and one aligning CSC and state rubrics. There was no stipulation that would hinder accreditation. The CSC committee expects to receive a written report in October. At that time, the Education department will know if its next follow-up visit will be in three or five years.
Category: Campus News, Education