HVACR EDUCATION PROGRAMS ACCREDITATION
A letter to PAHRA
Accredited School Leaders
Cindy Sheridan, CEO PAHRA
To All PAHRA Constituents:
The American Council of Construction Education (ACCE) is pleased to announce and confirm that the Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA) will transition to the fold of ACCE.
PAHRA will continue with the existing board of directors until the transition to the ACCE, targeted to be completed before December 31, 2023.
The ACCE is well known for providing accreditation and certification services for all construction education program categories, including post-secondary degrees (Associate, Bachelor's, and Master's), construction apprenticeship programs, and industry-designed and managed professional development programs.
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ACCE's membership reflects the joint effort of industry practitioners and educators, each holding 50% of the ACCE Board of Trustees positions.
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The ACCE staff consists of two full-time employees. In addition, specific committees consisting of construction program educators and industry professionals oversee all accreditation and certification processes and actions.
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ACCE's accreditation review teams, known as Visiting Teams, consist of three or more Members, with at least one from the construction industry and one from education. The Visiting Teams are organized to provide a peer review of accredited programs for continuous improvement and to share "Best Practices." In addition, each Visiting Team is tasked to verify that the Program follows the applicable ACCE Standards.
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The ACCE is a federally recognized accreditor of Programs. In addition, the Council of Higher Education Accreditors (CHEA) has recognized ACCE as an accreditor.
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As a Not-for-Profit 501(C)3 entity, the ACCE aims to continuously improve accredited construction education and apprenticeship programs through quality accreditation services.
If you are accredited through PAHRA, please contact the PAHRA Integration Team with accreditation dates and other program details to enable the Integration Team to assist you with the transition process before your program's accreditation expiration date. PAHRA Integration Team can be contacted via email at PAHRA@ACCE-HQ.org or by phone at 972-600-8800.
PAHRA Integration Team, in collaboration with ACCE Standards Committee, is formulating outcomes-based standards for PAHRA Programs. The collaboration is being done to ensure that the standards applied to PAHRA Programs in the future are relevant to PAHRA Programs. Please be assured that the current PAHRA Board of Directors and Associations support the transition of PAHRA Accredited Programs to the fold of the American Council of Construction Education.
Thank you, and the ACCE looks forward to working with you in future accreditations of currently accredited PAHRA Programs.
Becky Hoelscher – Chairperson
PAHRA Board of Directors (Interim)
ADVANTAGE OF ACCE ACCREDITATION TO FORMER PAHRA MEMBERS
Promoting quality construction education since 1974, ACCE is the accrediting body that raises the standardof excellence for construction education through industry and academic partnerships.
In particular, the American Council for Construction Education creates value for the student, academic, industry, and association stakeholders. To extend these efforts, ACCE has agreed to transition existing PAHRA accredited programs and offer a new accreditation and re-accreditation to current and future HVACR Education Degree Programs.............
ACCE ACCREDITATION BENEFITS
Students, by helping them identify institutions and professional development programs that offerquality construction education. ACCE accredited programs offer unique opportunities for learning in the classroom and the field.
The career experiences that students encounter through internships, student competitions, labs, and on the job training—complement classroom work and prepare graduates for success in the HVACR profession. Through this program, employers of HVACR graduates will be assured that students have met the minimum competency levels required for graduation and certification, as determined by the HVACR industry associations.
Institution and its HVACR education program in maintaining contact with other programs and practicing HVACR professionals and enables the program to
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keep current with emerging technologies in the field,
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set procedures, policies and standards that must be met to establish uniformity and ensure a basic level of educational quality across the HVACR Industry,
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improve instructional techniques; and
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access construction industry contacts nationwide
The Construction Industry, by enabling employers to identify persons who have the potential for making lasting contributions to the HVACR industry and their profession.
Owners/Users of Constructed Facilities and Public at Large, braising the professional caliber of HVACR professionals and thus the quality of the construction for which they assume responsibility.
Are you interested in submitting a Program or Institution for ACCE Accreditation?
FOR INFORMATION
Dan Belcher
300 Decker Drive, Suite 330 • Irving, Texas 75062
972.600.8800
