American Culinary Federation Awards Exemplary Status to Two St. Philip's College Programs

SAN ANTONIO (Aug. 12, 2008) --- St. Philip’s College is one of the first 25 schools worldwide on the Exemplary status list compiled by the largest professional chef’s organization in North America---the American Culinary Federation.

St. Philip’s College is also one of only three schools in Texas to be conferred this status, and St. Philip’s College is the only nonprofit community college in Texas to hold that status.

The two SPC Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Arts Department programs with Exemplary status from the ACF are Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management.

“In our point of view the St. Philip’s College Culinary Arts program has been exemplary for the last several years,” said Candice Childers, Assistant Director of Accreditation for the American Culinary Federation Foundation Accrediting Commission. “Of course, the only way a program can receive this (Exemplary) recognition is to meet all areas of compliance to our standards---for the last two site visits,” over a roughly 10-year period, Childers said.

In a separate achievement, both of the Exemplary-rated St. Philip’s College programs also received 7-year accreditation renewals from the ACF’s accrediting commission. St. Philip’s College is the sole school in Texas to achieve the 7-year accreditation that is the lengthiest term the Foundation awards.

“The entire effort required to attain both the Exemplary level and the accreditation has been a 10-year-plus process,” said Mary Kunz, Chair of the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Arts at SPC. “The Commission members visited our school twice during that time to see if we have what we said we have,” said Kunz. “Each time they visited, there was no area of noncompliance to be found,” Kunz said.

The unique combination of Exemplary status, maximum accreditation and great tuition value support the college’s strategic goals for the community it serves, said Chef Will Thornton, the college’s Director of Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management Programs.

The institution graduated its first culinary student 106 years ago, in 1902. Its worldwide reputation among professional chefs is at an all-time high. Thornton hopes the St. Philip’s College message gets through to talented, aspiring chefs and restaurant managers from around the world.

“This (Exemplary status) is the culmination of operating at an exemplary level for more than a decade,” said Thornton. “There are not too many Exemplary programs floating around, and we are the only nonprofit community college in Texas with the award,” Thornton said. (Images by Melissa Vasquez and Dianne Moffett)