Contact: Public Relations
(863) 680-4118

Florida Southern's athletic training
program awarded accreditation

LAKELAND, Fla. (Dec. 5, 2001) - The Athletic Training Educational Program (ATEP) at Florida Southern College has been awarded initial accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

CAAHEP's board of directors and the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Athletic Training cited the program's "substantial compliance with the nationally established accreditation standards." These standards are established by CAAHEP, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

FSC achieved accreditation in less than three years, about half the time normally needed to gain approval. Its ATEP is one of five accredited programs in Florida and among the first that offer a four-year clinical program. "We are one of the few programs in the state that accept seniors right out of high school into the program as part of the medical staff," said athletic training program director Dr. Jamie Naughright.

To prepare for accreditation, the department expanded its facilities, hired professors with credentials in athletic training, and established a curriculum committee to plan and implement the course work. Naughright credits the joint efforts of faculty, support staff, senior administrative officials, the board of trustees, the athletics department, and athletic training students in achieving a timely accreditation. Kathleen M. Benn, chair of the physical education department, worked with Naughright in creating the program. "It's great to see a vision become a reality when talented faculty, staff, and students come together to work for a common goal," she said.

The ATEP prepares students for careers in teaching, professional sports, sports medicine clinics, and corporate fitness settings.

For further information about FSC's athletic training program, please contact Naughright at 680-4437.

About Florida Southern College
Florida Southern is a four-year, private, co-educational liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The college offers more than 40 undergraduate majors and a master of business administration degree accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Located in Lakeland, Fla., the college is home to the largest, single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world.

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