Universal Technical Institute (UTI), the leading provider of post-secondary education for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, announced four of its campuses have been awarded the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) School of Excellence Award for the 2014-2015 academic year. UTI campuses in Avondale, Arizona; Rancho Cucamonga, California; Houston, Texas; and Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, are among only 24 schools in receiving the prestigious award this year and will be recognized as recipients of ACCSC's highest honor at the 2015 Professional Development Conference on September 9 in Arlington, Virginia.
"Strong student outcomes are ACCSC's key metric of success, and have been UTI's primary objective since we opened our doors 50 years ago," said Kim McWaters, chairman and chief executive officer at Universal Technical Institute. "This recognition reinforces our commitment to producing consistently strong outcomes for our students. Our manufacturer partnerships, expert instructors and state-of-the-industry facilities provide our graduates with the training they need to succeed in today's high-tech transportation industry."
The School of Excellence Award recognizes ACCSC-accredited schools for their commitment to the expectations and rigors of ACCSC accreditation, as well as the efforts made by the institution to maintain strong student outcomes. ACCSC-accredited institutions are eligible for the School of Excellence Award every five years, pending they meet the conditions of renewal of accreditation without any findings of non-compliance, satisfy all requirements necessary to be in good standing with the Commission, and demonstrate that the majority of the school's graduation and employment rates for all programs meet or exceed the average rates among all ACCSC-accredited institutions, which includes 700 institutions across the United States, Puerto Ricoand abroad.
"Through the School of Excellence Award, ACCSC recognizes UTI's commitment to delivering quality technical training programs that provide students with the high-tech, industry-specific skills they need to succeed in today's transportation industry," said Christopher Lambert, associate executive director of ACCSC.
Since 1965, UTI has graduated more than 190,000 students for work in the automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine industries. Offering a variety of technician training programs across 12 ACCSC-accredited campuses, UTI has a consolidated graduate employment track record that consistently exceeds the average rate of employment among all ACCSC-accredited institutions; Four out of five UTI graduates find employment in their fields of study within one year of graduation.
UTI campuses that have been honored with the ACCSC School of Excellence Award include NASCAR Technical Institute (2013-2014); UTI Lisle, Illinois, (2013-2014); UTI Exton, Pennsylvania, (2011-2012); UTI Glendale Heights, Illinois, (2009-2010) and UTI Avondale (2008-2009). Additionally, UTI's Sacramento, California, campus was honored as a School of Distinction for the 2007-2008 academic year.
"UTI is thrilled to be acknowledged again with ACCSC's highest institutional achievement award and we congratulate all our students and staff for their commitment to excellence," McWaters added.
