Two Academic Quality Improvement Program representatives will visit Seward County Community College/ Area Technical School Sept. 24 and 25 for a quality checkup. AQIP is the accreditation organization that SCCC/ATS is currently partnered with. Accreditation is the recognition of a school or institution for meeting certain guidelines and standards. AQIP evaluates SCCC/ATS to see if it is meeting those standards. The process of accreditation for the college is based on a seven-year cycle. At the end of the cycle, representatives will visit the college for a quality checkup. “The degrees that students receive are more valuable because they are accredited,” said Dean of Student Services Celeste Donovan. SCCC/ATS credits are transferable because the college is accredited. The two AQIP representatives who will visit SCCC/ATS are Dennis Shaw of Des Moines Area Community College and Brenda Sanchez of Independence Community College. “The campus visit is a checkup to make sure that everything is on track,” said Dean of Academic Affairs Cynthia Rapp. The visitation on Sept. 24 and 25 represents the end of the first AQIP cycle for SCCC/ATS. The AQIP program also focuses on other areas other than accreditation. “It deals with our retention rate, transfer programs, advisers and faculty,” Donovan said. “Students shouldn’t be worried about the visit,” Rapp said. Students should treat the day like an ordinary school day. The representatives will also tour the facilities of SCCC/ATS. The AQIP representatives will be on the main campus on Sept. 24 and the technical school will be visited on Sept. 25. A group of students will be selected prior to the visit to have lunch with the representatives. Faculty members will also be meeting with the representatives during set meeting times. Students, faculty, or anyone who wants more information can click on the accreditation link at the bottom of sccc.edu.