Bridgewater, Va. – After the release of new federal regulations by the national Department of Education, Bridgewater College’s Teacher Education Program is in the process of becoming nationally accredited.

This is the first time that the Teacher Education Program is being nationally accredited. Previously, they were only state accredited, which goes up for review every seven years. 

The new federal regulations now hold each institution to the same standard by the Department of Education, according to ed.gov. This change is a part of Secretary of Education Betsy Devos’s Rethink Higher Education plan. 

According to Associate Professor of Education Jenny Martin, a national accreditation team is visiting campus towards the end of November. This is following the program’s submission to the accreditation board a self-study report based on specific recommendations by the board. 

The board then replied with an ‘affirmative feedback’ report, which goes over the strengths and weaknesses of the department. Now, the program must write an addendum based on the feedback received from the board. 

I think it’ll benefit the program because now we’ll have formal recognition and we’ll be able to promote program improvement as well,” said junior Bailey Ferguson. “Also I think more students would want to be in the TEP if they were becoming teachers through the means of national accreditation instead of regional which will help with program retention.”