HGTC culinary arts’ accreditation renewed

CONWAY HGTC’s Culinary Arts Program was recently reaccredited by the Culinary Arts Federation Education Foundation, marking 33 straight years the school has held the distinction.

“Our strength is our staff,” said Phil Render, associate vice president for academic services at Horry-Georgetown Technical College, the position from which he oversees culinary arts. “Accreditations are tools to affirm the program.”

Render said the accreditation renewal lets officials know the Culinary Arts Program is in a strong position as the college embarks on a major expansion of it. Plans are being finalized for a new, $8 million to $10 million culinary arts building on the Grand Strand Campus that will be accompanied by a doubling of the teaching staff and the enrollment to 300 to 400 students.

HGTC’s program was one of 14 culinary arts programs nationwide to get the recent reaccreditation, said Leah Craig, communications manager for the Foundation. She said it accredits hundreds of culinary arts programs throughout the country at two-year and four-year colleges and certifies programs in high schools.

The HGTC program is one of four accredited in South Carolina. The others are the Culinary Institute of Charleston at Trident Technical College, the Culinary Institute of the Carolinas at Greenville Technical College and the culinary arts program at Spartanburg Community College.

According to the Federation, a program’s accreditation assures that it meets at least a minimum amount of standards and competencies set for faculty, curriculum and student services.

It further means that the program follows established standards, including those for accountability and credibility, and maintains a high level of professionalism and up-to-date practices.

The next accreditation renewal will be held in 2016.

Render said the accreditation is not necessarily a badge for the resumes of graduates seeking jobs along the Grand Strand.

“Our chefs are known in the community,” he said.

With the planned construction of the new building and the new facilities it will bring to the school, Render said HGTC is aiming for recognition as one of the top culinary arts schools in the Southeast.

“Our new building will let us run with anybody in the Southeast,” he said, “and, at a reasonable price.”

Render said the program accreditation renewal followed about two days of on-site scrutiny by a three-person team from the Federation. They looked at the program’s facilities, the overall college academic infrastructure and talked with students and staff, Render said.

The visit was taken seriously, he said, and school officials were anxious for feedback that could help improve the program.

“(The judges) don’t come with an attitude to embarrass,” Render said, “but they want (us) to meet a professional standard.”