Collision Repair at NCC Earns Highest Level of Accreditation

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After a year of preparation, the Collision Repair Program at Nashua Community College has received the highest level of program accreditation recognized by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). ASE is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service by certifying automotive professionals and educational organizations.

According to Associate VP of Academic Affairs Barry Garside, the accreditation became official this January. “This distinction indicates that NCC’s Collision Repair Technology Program meets the requirements for master collision accreditation in the areas of damage analysis/estimating/customer service, painting and refinishing, non-structural analysis/damage repair, structural analysis/damage repair, and mechanical and electrical components,” said Garside, “Moreover, ASE accreditation affirms NCC’s Collision Repair program is delivering current, robust, and quality educational programming and coursework to students.”

Industry and Transportation Department Chair, Prof. Karl Wunderlich, worked on the accreditation with a team of colleagues, starting before the COVID pandemic. “It took probably a year, year and a half of us going through the self-study, and putting together all the documents. It was a lot of work, but worth it in the end.”

ASE accredits automotive and collision repair programs, reviewing each program at 5-year intervals. “There’s a visit including folks from local industry, and they evaluate the program,” said Prof. Wunderlich, “They look at everything – facilities, tools and equipment, curriculum, faculty credentials, textbooks, the classrooms, the shop, the building in general, the office space – you name it.”

NCC achieved the highest level of accreditation by satisfying five areas:

• Damage analysis and estimating customer service
• Painting and refinishing
• Nonstructural analysis and damage repair
• Structural analysis and damage repair
• Mechanical and electrical repair

Other items must also be addressed, such as lab signage, first aid procedure, costs, and more. Prof. Wunderlich noted the visiting team was pleased with the college’s focus on innovative technology, “They were happy we were looking at new technologies, we talked about the Advanced Driver Assist Systems – we recently got that equipment delivered in January. We’re getting training in a couple of weeks, it’s pretty cutting edge.”

The accreditation ensures the program is of high quality, and the recognition helps the college gain national credibility, said Prof. Wunderlich, “A lot of times there are scholarships available for students, but part of the criteria is that the program has to be accredited. This opens doors for future relationships with vendors looking to donate materials and parts to the program, and definitely if there are scholarships out there; it’s another opportunity for our students.”

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