Fletcher seeking accreditation; will add 2-year degree

Fletcher Technical Community College in Houma has become a candidate for membership in the main academic accrediting organization for higher education in the South, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Fletcher is expected to become a member of SACS in around 18 months, said Fletcher Chancellor Travis Lavigne.

Most post-secondary schools in the south offering general academic courses have membership in SACS, prompting Lavigne to say, “We have achieved a major milestone.”

Until 2003, Fletcher had been one of 42 technical colleges in Louisiana. In that year, Fletcher became a community college when the Louisiana Board of Regents allowed the school to begin offering academic coursework.

Since Fletcher has gained initial candidacy status in SACS, the college can begin offering the two-year Associate of General Studies degree.

Currently, Fletcher is accredited by the national Council on Occupational Education. When the school is accredited by SACS, Fletcher will be a member of the association and the Council on Occupational Education.

“Under the COE, we couldn’t offer a purely academic degree,” Lavigne said.

Fletcher is one of two technical community colleges in the state, along with SOWELA in Lake Charles. Louisiana has seven community colleges.

Besides allowing the college to offer an academic degree, membership in SACS will allow Fletcher students to transfer academic credits to other schools.

“Our courses should be considered at the same level of other accredited institutions,” Lavigne said. “It’s a quality standard. If you’re going to Fletcher, you want to know if the course you take will be accepted” at other schools, he said.

Lavigne said that Nicholls State University President Stephen Hulbert strongly supported Fletcher’s application for membership in SACS.

“It’s good to have the regional college support you,” he said.

When representatives from SACS came to evaluate Fletcher, Hulbert was present to help receive the representatives.

“Hulbert has been critical,” Lavigne said. “It’s amazing how supportive he is of our community college.”

Hulbert heaped praise on Fletcher.

“Fletcher’s a strong technical community college,” Hulbert said. “They’re clearly deserving of this recognition. They will be a partner.”

He said that Fletcher’s ability to offer an academic degree will help students gain admission to Nicholls State.

“Nicholls has a selective admissions” policy, Hulbert said. “If a student can’t go to Nicholls, he can now go to Fletcher to get an associate’s degree.”

“This is a progressive relationship we’ve been working toward for several years,” he said.