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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, September 24, 2008
ATHLETIC TRAINING RECEIVES NATIONAL ACCREDITATION
LINDSBORG, Kan.—The Bethany College Athletic Training Education Program now is fully accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).
David Slack, associate professor of athletic training and program coordinator, said this accomplishment was a team effort.
“Accreditation is a tribute to the athletic training staff and our clinical instructors that we have both on and off campus,” Slack said. He added that accreditation is not only vital for the program’s current students, but also for recruiting students in the future.
Dr. Eugene Bales, vice president for academic affairs, said the program accreditation is absolutely critical for students who want to become certified athletic trainers.
“There is an increasing and steady need for well-trained individuals to be of service to athletes and others, not only in colleges and universities, but in the public schools and elsewhere. Now Bethany College can play a role in training these individuals,” Bales said.
In January, CAATE representatives conducted interviews, observed students and visited clinical education sites to determine if Bethany’s athletic training education program met accreditation standards.
Accreditation for collegiate athletic training programs became available in 2004, and Bethany’s program had not yet received accreditation. In order to take the board of certification exams for athletic training, students must graduate from accredited programs.
Slack, along with Head Athletic Trainer Richard McClellan, Assistant Athletic Trainer Jody Miller and the Bethany College Department of Athletics, worked for the past year and a half to complete a self-study of Bethany’s program. This study also was considered during the site visit.
In order for a program to become accredited, not only the program, but the program’s personnel must meet an extensive list of criteria. The program must also prove the availability of adequate resources. In addition to financial resources, the program must meet criteria of its physical resources, such as classrooms and clinical settings, and instructional resources, such as instructional aids and equipment.
CAATE also looks at the program’s policies, including admission procedures, health and safety standards, maintenance of student records, and assessment procedures, as well as its curriculum and clinical education experiences. The program must then follow additional guidelines to maintain its status as a fully-accredited program.
Only 8-12 students are accepted into Bethany’s highly-selective athletic training education program each year. Student must fill out an application, write a letter of interest and submit a personal letter of recommendation. Students must also meet GPA requirements, as well as take several prerequisite courses.
Bethany joins five other KCAC schools and 14 Kansas colleges that have undergraduate accredited athletic training education programs.
Bethany College competes in 15 intercollegiate sports in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, as well as college-sponsored cheer and dance squads. Since 1902, Bethany has won 140 conference championships.
Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to nurture and challenge individuals in their search for truth and meaning as they lead lives of faith, learning and service. Bethany is on the Web at www.bethanylb.edu.
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