SUNY Delhi Culinary Arts Receives National Accreditation

DELHI, NY (02/08/2018) (readMedia)-- SUNY Delhi has announced that its associate's degree program in Culinary Arts has been reaccredited for seven years by the Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), the largest and most prestigious organization dedicated to professional chefs in the United States.

"Few colleges earn the seven-year accreditation, and even fewer receive the exemplary status," said Dr. David Brower, dean of SUNY Delhi's School of Business and Hospitality Management. "We are one of only two colleges in New York State to receive it, so we are very proud that we have a program of this caliber."

According to Dr. Brower, the accreditation affords students pursuing SUNY Delhi's associate's degree in culinary arts the opportunity to receive Certified Culinarian (CC) status upon graduation. A student who has completed the necessary employment hours and is an ACF member may receive certification from the ACF as a culinarian upon graduation.

The ACF Accrediting Commission reviewed all aspects of Delhi's associate's degree in culinary arts before giving its stamp of approval. The accreditation process is rigorous and required the college to first conduct a self-evaluation documenting faculty credentials, graduate employment history, hours of instruction, professional and safety standards, in addition to the various disciplines students are taught as part of Delhi's culinary arts curriculum.

The self-evaluation was compiled over the course of a year, after which a team of three representatives from the ACF Accrediting Commission visited the campus to verify the standards found in the college's self-evaluation. Commission representatives spoke with students, faculty, staff, alumni and college officials before offering their recommendation to the Commission earlier this year.

"The external review team from the ACF provided a glowing report at the exit interview. They found that we were fully compliant in all areas of instruction, assessment, and program administration. As a result, SUNY Delhi earned a seven year reaccreditation with an 'exemplary' distinction," Dr. Brower said.

The ACF Accrediting Commission is the national accrediting commission for the culinary, pastry, and educational programs at post-secondary institutions. ACF recognized a need to develop a system to monitor culinary programs for quality performance and, as a result, the ACF Accrediting Commission was formed in 1986. This process ensures that industry standards are met within the educational environment.

The Culinary arts program is part of an award-winning Hospitality Management department at SUNY Delhi. Delhi has the distinction of winning eleven American Culinary Federation State Championships, seven ACF Northeastern Regional Championships and two national victories, first in 2010 and most recently in 2012.

SUNY Delhi's Culinary Arts programs offer graduates a firm foundation from which to start their careers as professionals. Students can choose from a variety of specialized courses depending on their interest or direction in the field, including advanced meat cutting, culinary competition, advanced pastries and confections, and culinary sculpting, a course in which students learn to sculpt 300-pound ice blocks made in the campus lab. A capstone course, Signatures by Candlelight, gives students the experience of operating a full-service, fine dining restaurant that is open to the public.

The Culinary Arts programs are part of SUNY Delhi's award-winning hospitality offerings. Delhi offers two- and four-year degree programs in Hotel and Resort Management, Restaurant and Foodservice Management, Event Management, and Culinary Arts.

For more information about SUNY Delhi's Culinary Arts programs, visit www.delhi.edu.