Concorde Career College-Dallas (CCC), has been named "School of the Year" by Career Colleges and Schools of Texas (CCST), which is one of the association's highest Awards of Distinction. Concorde is the healthcare division of Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
In addition, Connie Tipado, Concorde-Dallas online success coach, was named Innovator of the Year. Heartland Dental, a longtime Concorde corporate partner and scholarship sponsor, was named Employer of the Year.
Concorde's Dallas campus offers career-focused healthcare programs, including dental hygiene, medical assistant, vocational nursing, respiratory therapy, and others. The diploma and associate degree programs were designed with input from healthcare employers like Heartland Dental to provide students with the knowledge and hands-on skills needed to help prepare students for fulfilling healthcare careers. In addition to its Dallas campus, Concorde operates campuses in Grand Prairie and San Antonio.
"We are honored to receive this recognition from CCST for our commitment to preparing the next generation of healthcare and dental professionals in the Dallas area for rewarding careers," said Erin Henry, president of Concorde Career College-Dallas. "Every faculty and staff member at our campus was instrumental in this achievement."
Henry added, "On behalf of everyone at Concorde, I also congratulate our online success coach Connie Tipado and employer partner Heartland Dental on receiving their awards. Connie is a constant presence in our students' lives. Heartland Dental is an exceptional partner that provides hands on experience for our students, scholarships for those who need them the most, and job opportunities upon completion of their coursework."
To help foster student success in a hybrid learning environment, Concorde created the Success Passport program, an innovative non-credit course taught by Tipado and delivered synchronously online to provide students with an introduction to hybrid learning and the tools to successfully navigate coursework. Students use a branded "passport" to journey through their courses. After collecting all the required stamps in their passport, they receive a completion certificate and an achievement pin.
"CCST recognizes both the benefits and enormous challenges of hybrid learning in a healthcare setting. At Concorde, we are laser-focused on student success. We knew we had to make the Success Passport program fun and engaging, online and with in-person campus support, to ensure students can take full advantage of the flexibility that a hybrid learning model offers," Tipado said.
Since 2022, Heartland has awarded $80,000 in scholarships across eight Concorde locations in Colorado, Missouri, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas. Heartland Dental also hosts HygieneBLAZE, a two-day laser certification course for second year dental hygiene students, all at no cost to the student. Students learn from Heartland Dental's Hygiene Education team and pass their exams to become ALD certified.
"The partnership between Heartland Dental and Concorde Career College is critical to success in the dental community," said Cathy Telles, Heartland Dental Manager of Campus Recruiting and a member of the Effingham, Ill.-based Heartland Dental support team. "We connect with Concorde's students by offering scholarships, educational sessions, and externships. This is a testament to our belief in the power of education and the importance of investing in the future of dentistry."
In addition to the CCST awards, Concorde recently earned the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) highest award at the association's annual conference. The college was named 2023 School of the Year.
