Allied Dental Programs Accreditation
The GCSC Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene Programs are fully accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
The Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene programs offered by Gulf Coast State College
were initiated in 1970 and 1996, respectively. The programs in dental assisting and
dental hygiene are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and have been
granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements.”
The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department
of Education. The most recent evaluation of both programs was in October 2019. This
was the Commission’s seventh site evaluation of the Dental Assisting Program and the
fifth site evaluation of the Dental Hygiene Program.
Student Academic Grievance Procedure
Students in the GCSC Dental Programs have the right to file an academic complaint with the Office of Academic Affairs. The College has outlined several grievance processes for students. For more information please consult the Student Handbook and College Catalog.
American Dental Association Commission on Accreditation
Students, faculty, constituent dental societies, state boards of dentistry, and other interested parties have the right to file a complaint with the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation. A complaint is defined by the Commission on Dental Accreditation as one alleging that a Commission-accredited education program, or a program which has an application for initial accreditation pending, may not be in substantial compliance with Commission standards or required accreditation procedures.
To file a complaint, write to the Commission at the address below. A copy of the appropriate accreditation standards and/or the Commission's policy and procedure for submission of complaints may be obtained by contacting the Commission at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678 or by calling 312.440.4653. The Commission’s web address is https://coda.ada.org/.
