NW Missouri Times

The National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) has announced the reaccreditation of concurrent enrollment programs offered by 10 colleges and universities, including Northwest Missouri State University. These programs provide college credit-bearing courses to high school students taught by college-approved high school teachers.

As the nation’s only accrediting body for these educational partnerships, NACEP's standards serve as model criteria for ensuring parity in faculty, course content, student outcomes, and support. Receiving NACEP accreditation indicates that an institution has met rigorous standards in concurrent enrollment program development, management, and evaluation across multiple program areas.

Northwest Missouri State University's dual credit program allows high school students to earn college credits while still in high school. Courses are taught by high school faculty at the enrolled students’ home schools and are also offered through Northwest Online with instruction provided by university faculty. To enroll, students must be recommended by their high school and meet specific requirements.

“Having our dual credit accreditation reaffirmed solidifies the quality of our programming and demonstrates that Northwest is committed to providing high-quality dual credit programming to area high school students,” said Dr. Jay Johnson, associate provost for academic operations and development at Northwest. “Northwest’s efforts in dual credit are an important part of establishing our presence in the region. I commend Amy Washam, the director of the program, for leading this process as well as the faculty, liaisons, and all other Northwest personnel who participated in this exercise.”

NACEP is a leading membership organization supporting programs that transition students from high school to college through college credit-bearing courses. Its national member network includes nearly 500 institutions that partner to offer college courses to high school students through various delivery methods.

To earn NACEP accreditation, concurrent enrollment programs conduct a self-study, document how their programs adhere to NACEP’s 16 standards, and undergo a rigorous peer-review process conducted by representatives from NACEP-accredited programs and members of the NACEP Accreditation Commission. NACEP’s accreditation is valid for seven years.

Northwest Missouri State University is one of 134 NACEP-accredited programs across 26 states.

For more information about Northwest’s dual credit program or a complete list of NACEP-accredited programs, visit their respective websites.

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