Culinary institute to shift its focus
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Staff report - Published: December 29, 2008
MONTPELIER – In an effort to continue attracting students, New England Culinary Institute plans to increase the number of ways students can earn a degree.
The new ideas are an evolution from the institute model, where NECI traditionally focused on training and preparing students for the high-end restaurant business, to a more diverse and inclusive college model that responds to the changes of the world-wide food industry.
"We are taking NECI to where it needs to be," said Fran Voigt, president and founder of the 28-year-old institution, in a press release. "NECI enjoys an unrivaled reputation as one of the nation's finest cooking schools, and we take great pride in that distinction. … We want to make certain that our graduates are fully prepared to pursue careers in the food industry of tomorrow. The plan is to increase the range of opportunities available for our graduates."
Leaders of the school shared plans with their board of directors for developing and offering a broad range of associate and baccalaureate degrees at NECI and making those degrees available to resident students, as well as to those students who take courses online.
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