(November 10, 2008) Graph Expo 2008, Chicago: Dr. Jerry J. Waite, president of the Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications, Inc. presented Mr. Rick Clendenning, President & CEO, INX International Ink Co. with a plaque acknowledging that INX had become an ACCGC Sustaining Corporate Affiliate this past year. The inscription on the plaque reads, "The Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications, Inc. honors INX International Ink Co. as a Sus-taining Corporate Affiliate for recognizing and supporting the value of increasingly improved standards of education for collegiate technology and management degree programs in graphic communications, graphic arts, printing, imaging, and related areas - October 26, 2008."

In 2005, the ACCGC Board of Directors established the Sustaining Corporate Affiliate program. This program gives graphic communications-related companies the opportunity to become a Sus-taining Corporate Affiliate (SCA) of the council by making a contribution of $5,000. Sustaining Corporate Affiliates contribute to the improvement of collegiate academic graphic communica-tions programs and help insure that there will be a continuous supply of qualified graduates for the industry. It is possible to initiate and become a SCA with a $1,000 contribution and the re-maining affiliate fee being paid the following years. Thus far, eight companies and corporations have become ACCGC Sustaining Corporate Affiliates; they areBowe Bell+Howell, Eastman Kodak Company, Fuji Graphic Systems, Inc., Heidelberg USA, INX International Ink Co., Leo Burnett USA, Inc., Quad/Graphics, Inc., and Xerox Corporation.

The multiple benefits of a company/corporation becoming an ACCGC Sustaining Corporate Af-filiate are listed as follows:

 1.  Helping to improve the quality of baccalaureate and associate degree programs in graphic communications at colleges and universities throughout the USA.

2.      Providing additional credibility for baccalaureate and associate degree programs in the eyes of industry, prospective students, and graduates of accredited programs.

3. Giving public and industry recognition for the companies/corporations who become ACCGC Sustaining Corporate Affiliates.

4.       Facilitating the opportunity for affiliated companies/corporations to have representation on the ACCGC Board of Directors (currently, six Sustaining Corporate Affiliate compa-nies are represented on the ACCGC Board), and

5.  Making it possible to have direct access to graphic communications graduates for em-ployment purposes from the ACCGC accredited colleges and universities.

All graphic communications related companies/corporations (manufacturers, suppliers, publish-ers, printers, advertising agencies, etc.) are invited to become Sustaining Corporate Af-filiates of ACCGC. For additional information about the Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications, Inc., please view the ACCGC website at: www.gitasu.com/accgc/.