Colorado State University – Pueblo athletic training program earns accreditation 
 
PUEBLO – Recent accreditation of the Athletic Training Education Program in the Department of Exercise Science, Health Promotion and Recreation (EXHPR) at Colorado State University-Pueblo should boost recruitment efforts since graduates now qualify for the national certification examination. Last month, CSU-Pueblo’s athletic training program received accreditation by the Commission on the Accreditation of Allied-Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). CSU-Pueblo is one of only four accredited athletic training programs in Colorado. 
 
According to Dr. Carol Foust, chair of EXHPR, CAAHEP accredits 21 different allied-health related education programs in the United States and Canada. Each profession represented by CAAHEP has a Committee on Accreditation (CoA). The Joint Review Committee on Athletic Training (JRC-AT) is the CoA for athletic training. CAAHEP has been accrediting athletic training education programs since 1994. The process to accreditation for the CSU-Pueblo program consisted of a three-year candidacy period with the JRC-AT, submission of a detailed self-study report, an on-site visit in Fall, 2003 by JRC-AT representatives, and submission of a rejoinder report based upon the findings from the on-site visit. 
 
As of January, 2004, all potential athletic trainers must graduate from a CAAHEP accredited program in order to obtain certification from the National Athletic Trainers’ Board of Certification (NATABOC). 
 
The visiting team cited exceptional curriculum and resources, including equipment and staffing, as program strengths. Foust is particularly proud of the program’s curriculum, which integrates coursework and laboratory experiences with hands-on practice with certified instructors at both on and off campus sites. After demonstrating proficiency in a laboratory setting, students move into practicums treating CSU-Pueblo athletes, then move to off-campus clinics, and high schools.
 
Foust called the collaboration between the EXHPR faculty and athletic department representatives a win-win situation.
 
“We need to provide services to train our students, and athletics needs the athletic training services. Students get the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning experience with athletes, while the athletes receive the quality treatment we can provide under the supervision of certified instructors,” said Foust. 
 
Foust indicated that the University has had an athletic training program for about five years. However, because of the new regulation that students must graduate from an accredited school before taking the certification exam, the program would not have survived without the accreditation. 
 
“Without this accreditation, we would not have a program in the future. Colorado does not have state certification, so students must take the national certification exam, and can only do so if they’ve graduated from a CAAHEP accredited school,” Foust said. 
 
The accreditation will provide a significant boost to the program’s recruitment efforts since only University of Northern Colorado, Mesa State, and Fort Lewis have accredited athletic training programs.
 
“Because of our accreditation, we anticipate drawing even more students from the region, including surrounding states like New Mexico and Kansas,” Foust said. 
 
  
Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.