Press Release

Culinary Programs Recognized as Exemplary by ACFF at 2008 ACF Central Regional Conference

St. Augustine, Fla., February 15, 2008 - Six postsecondary culinary programs were recognized by the American Culinary Federation Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFFAC) as exemplary at the 2008 ACF Central Regional Conference held at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center, Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 8-10.

The programs recognized by the ACFFAC as exemplary are at the following schools:

• Blackhawk Technical College, Janesville, Wis.
• Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, Mich.
• The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Dallas, Dallas
• Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kan.
• Kendall College, Chicago
• Texas Culinary Academy-Le Cordon Bleu Program, Austin, Texas

The ACFFAC, recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), provides regulatory oversight of post-secondary institutions. The primary function of the ACFFAC is programmatic accreditation. This specialized accreditation is a voluntary action on the part of the institution that requires curriculum, faculty, resources, support staff, and organizational structure all meet or exceed quality standards.

Culinary or foodservice programs that are accredited by the ACFFAC have been reviewed against established standards. These programs undergo a self-evaluation and report their findings to the ACFFAC. The ACFFAC then authorizes a fact-finding team to visit the school to verify compliance with the standards. The self-evaluation, the report of the fact-finding team, and the program response to the fact-finding report, are studied. The ACFFAC then grants accreditation to programs that meet the published standards.

To qualify as an exemplary program upon renewal of ACFFAC accreditation, a program will have had to have been in full compliance the last two site visitation reports. The visiting team determines that the program has met the ACFFAC standards in eight required areas: eligibility; program mission and goals; organization and administration; faculty and staff; curriculum; facilities; student services; and assessment. Exemplary programs are accredited for seven years.

Chosen for its blues, jazz, BBQ and attractions, Kansas City, Mo., was the location of the 2008 ACF Central Regional Conference hosted by the ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association. Bringing more than 400 chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals to the city, the conference provided attendees with numerous opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through informative business seminars, forums, clinics and cutting-edge demonstrations. In addition, the conference offered participants the opportunity to learn about the latest cooking trends and techniques.

Sponsors of the 2008 ACF Central Regional Conference and national award sponsors are: Barber Foods; Boulevard Brewing Co.; Buckhead Beef Company; Butterball Farms, Inc.; Canada Cutlery Inc.; The Cheesecake Factory; Contessa Premium Foods; Custom Culinary™; GFF, Inc. / Girard's Dressings; La Brea Bakery; Lobster Select; Mann's Fresh Vegetables; MARS Foodservices; Mind's Eye Resource Management, LLC; Missouri Beef Industry Council; Missouri Pork Association; Nestlé FoodServices North America; New Grass Bison; NEWCHEF Fashions; Nueske's Applewood Smoked Meats; Pearson Prentice Hall; R.L. Schreiber, Inc., Rubbermaid Commercial Products; Seaboard Foods; SYSCO Food Services; Splenda®; Tyson Food Service; and Unilever Foodsolutions.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With 20,000 members spanning more than 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and also holds the presidium for the World Association of Chefs Societies, the largest international network of chef associations with more than eight million members globally. For more information, please visit www.acfchefs.org.

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Photos can be obtained by contacting Patricia Carroll or by calling (800) 624-9458 extension 147.