MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. , Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul announced that it has been recognized by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT) as a 2007-2008 School of Distinction. The college will be honored at the ACCSCT Annual Professional Development Conference in Bethesda, Maryland on October 6 .

'This is a great honor for our faculty and chef instructors,' said Kevin L. Sanderson, president, 'we are very proud of our programs and this distinction validates our work, commitment and passion for the culinary arts.'

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Art Minneapolis/St. Paul program began as a program at Brown College in 1999. The school began offering a Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Program that year, the first to be offered in North America . It started as a Certificate Program and began offering Associate in Applied Science degrees in 2002. An Associate in Applied Science in Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie & Baking was added the following year. These programs were strictly offered through Brown College until 2005. In 2005, the Brown College degree programs were transformed into a new institution: Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul. The school is a branch campus of Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon .

The college is associated with the distinguished Paris cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu, and offers an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts and Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking as well as a Certificate in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts.

The ACCSCT School of Distinction Award recognizes member schools that have demonstrated a commitment to the expectations and rigors of ACCSCT accreditation, as well as a commitment to delivering quality educational programs to the students, graduates and employers.

Through this award, it is the Commission's intent to recognize the importance of this significant achievement, including completing the accreditation process without stipulation and having been timely in the submission of the fees and reports required of an ACCSCT accredited institution.

About Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul offers students a comprehensive, innovative, hands-on culinary arts and hospitality education based on the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu Programs. Offering Associate in Applied Science Degrees in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts and Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie & Baking, as well as a Certificate in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul can prepare you for professional opportunities in the international hospitality industry. Our school's partnership with Le Cordon Bleu represents a union of some of the finest in European and North American culinary arts training programs. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul is a member of the Career Education Corporation (Nasdaq: CECO) network of universities, colleges and schools. For more information, please visit http://www.twincitiesculinary.com.

About Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America

Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America is the largest provider of quality culinary arts education. Few institutions possess the distinguished reputation of Le Cordon Bleu, which established its first culinary school in Paris in 1895. For more information about Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, go to: http://www.lecordonbleuschoolsusa.com

SOURCE Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul