Northeast Texas Community College recently received formal notification that its Funeral Service program has been granted a three-year accreditation with the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE). This makes NTCC one of only five funeral service education programs in the state of Texas. †Students who graduate from the program with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Funeral Services are eligible to sit for certification exams in both funeral directing and embalming.
?I am so very excited that the program has reached this goal. It is amazing to see how much has been developed and the renovations that have been completed, in such a short period of time. It is my hope that this program will develop funeral students to become top-notch funeral professionals that will go on to have rewarding careers,? Rebecca Robidas Gardner, NTCC Director of Funeral Service Education, said.
After a one-year startup period and a one-year candidacy period, the NTCC program was granted initial accreditation by the ABFSE in April 2018. The accreditation process is, at minimum, a two-year process. †Gardner says the goal from the beginning was to develop a unique curriculum that is appealing to a wide range of students. Most of the program work is completed in an online environment with real-world practical experiences being completed in local funerals homes and through an on-campus practicum in the final semester. Five students graduated from the program in May 2018.
In addition to Gardner, who teaches and acts as director, the program has hired Brandon Glade as a full-time instructor. The duo works hard to provide students with the well-rounded education needed to provide professional, compassionate care to families in Northeast Texas and beyond.† Because much of the program is online, it is feasible for students who live virtually anywhere to complete the program. Another advantage is cost. Since NTCC is a public community college, tuition and fees are significantly less than those at most private funeral service programs.
A cornerstone of the NTCC Funeral Service program is partnerships with funeral homes.
?It is only with the help of our affiliated funeral homes that we were able to accomplish a fully-accredited status.†The support these funeral homes and their licensed funeral directors have shown students†and I during the initiation stage was outstanding and I can say that my funeral professional family has grown tremendously during this time. I am confident that these funeral homes are going to be served well by bringing newly-licensed funeral professionals and NTCC funeral service students into their facilities,? Gardner said.
The program boasts a state-of-the-art embalming lab and classroom spaces complete with caskets, urns and other memorial products the students will need to be familiar with as funeral directors. Most of these have been donated by industry partners. Gardner pointed out that she and Glade strive to offer an inviting environment on campus that prompts an open and curious dialog about funeral service.
?Funerals are not something that many people feel comfortable discussing. We love it when members of the campus community come to us with candid questions or just want to look around. We want to do everything we can to help people feel more comfortable with the concept of death care,? Gardner said.
As for the future of the program, Gardner hopes to see it grow into one of the premiere funeral service training programs in the nation. They will offer a standalone certificate in Funeral Directing starting this fall for those who do not want to complete the embalming portion of the curriculum.
?The best part of our program is that we are able to serve our community by offering educational experiences that allow students to fulfill their dreams of becoming licensed funeral professionals in a field where there is a shortage of candidates. †To me, this is beneficial to everyone,? she said.
To learn more, visit†www.ntcc.edu/funeralservice†or call Gardner at 903-434-8314.
