Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees announced during its regularly scheduled meeting Sept. 14 on the Dowagiac campus that the college’s Precision Production Technology (PPT) program has received a five-year accreditation from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS).

“This accreditation is the result of a rigorous examination determining that your program meets the quality standards as established by the National Institute for Metalworking Skills on behalf of the nation’s precision manufacturing industry,” wrote Stephen Mandes, executive director of the NIMS organization, to SMC.

The NIMS accreditation process included an on-site audit and evaluation by a NIMS industry team that reviewed and conducted on-site inspections of all aspects of the training program, including administrative support, curriculum, plant, equipment and tooling, student and trainee progress, industry involvement, instructor qualifications and safety.

“We endeavor to align our curricula with external, national standards for the profession as well as to make certain that our students are eligible to sit for national certifying exams whenever they are available,” said Dr. Diane Chaddock, vice president and chief operating officer at the college.

“All curricula at SMC are developed to meet the outcomes of our receiving audience. This includes transfer institutions and employers.

“For occupational curricula, we want to make sure that our curricula prepare students for the requirements of their profession.

“Not only do we work through our advisory boards to determine current employment standards, but we also align our curricula with national standards for the professions whenever those are available,” Chaddock said.

“As a whole, Southwestern Michigan College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools,” explained SMC President Dr. David Mathews. “Beyond the institution-wide accreditation, 26 of the occupational degrees and certificates offered at the College are either specialty accredited programs and/or aligned with national standards, allowing the college’s students to sit for national professional certification examinations. Such is the case with our recent NIMS accreditation for our Precision Production Technology program.  We are very proud of our faculty and academic leadership team for choosing to engage in this rigorous process to ensure that SMC’s PPT program is relevant to employers and serving students in the best possible way.”

In other business, the Board of trustees re-appointed members of the College’s Museum Advisory Committee. The committee provides museum Director Steve Arseneau with community input regarding all facets of the museum’s operations. Re-appointed for the 2010-11 year were: William Westrate, vice chair, of Cassopolis; Candace Azevedo, Barbara Groner, Larry Lyons, Alan Palmer, and Liz Rapalee-Lyons, all of Dowagiac; Bill Krohne, of Hartford; Barbara Wood Cook and Pam Proctor, both of Niles.

Chuck Timmons of Dowagiac was also re-appointed for a second two-year term as chairman of the Museum Advisory Committee.

According to SMC Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Fred L. Mathews, “The Museum at Southwestern Michigan College is a unique and irreplaceable community asset. The Board of Trustees truly appreciates the service of these community volunteers in making sure that the museum achieves its goals of preserving and displaying local history for generations to come.”