Four culinary programs at Lake Washington Technical College in Kirkland received renewal programmatic accreditation from the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF) Accrediting Commission.

ACFEF programmatic accreditation was renewed for Lake Washington Technical College’s AAS degree in culinary arts, AAS degree in baking and pastry, certificate in culinary arts and certificate in baking and pastry, which were initially accredited in 2003.

The accreditations will expire June 30, 2016.

“The Accrediting Commission evaluates faculty, curriculum, facilities, student services and administrative capability to ensure that the programs promote successful student outcomes,” said Rob Hudson, Accrediting Commission chair. “We are proud to recognize Lake Washington Technical College’s programs as ACFEF accredited.”

Accreditation assures that a program is meeting at least a minimum amount of standards and competencies set for faculty, curriculum and student services. Accreditation ensures that the program follows established standards, has accountability and credibility standards, and maintains a high level of professionalism and up-to-date practices.

Accreditation by the ACFEF Accrediting Commission of a program at an institution is voluntary. To receive accreditation, a program must first submit a self-study. Then, a three-member team performs an on-site evaluation to validate the information submitted in the self-study, which is compiled into a team report.

Next, commission reviews the report, along with the institution’s self-study, and decides if accreditation will be granted and for how long. An initial grant is for three or five years, while a renewal grant is for three, five or seven years.

There are currently 392 postsecondary accredited programs and 144 secondary certified programs in 351 institutions accredited by the ACFEF Accrediting Commission worldwide.