The school has been in the process of certification with the Chicago-based Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs (CAAHEP). The recent announcement means that North Park will join a select number of colleges and universities in offering a full-service Athletic Training Educational Program.
“It was a lot of work, but we were extremely delighted with the full support we received from the administration, faculty, staff and students,” said Andrew Lundgren, program director of athletic training. “It’s a very meticulous process and you have to pay attention to details all the way through. We had a very favorable site visit (in September 2002) and we wanted to work out the final details so that everything is in order.”
North Park has had an athletic training program for nearly two decades, said Lundgren. However, NPU and others were advised to upgrade the program to stay current with requirements. Any student wishing to work in the athletic training profession will need to graduate from a school offering a CAAHEP-accredited program beginning January 1. North Park is among 14 programs in Illinois that has received favorable ratings and one of a select few Christian liberal arts institutions (Hope College in Michigan and Bethel College in the Twin Cities are among the others) with accreditation for athletic training.
Although North Park has been only recently accredited, Lundgren (who has been at North Park for eight years) noted that recent alums have worked for high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and private sports medicine clinics throughout the United States. There are currently 16 students in the athletic training program and the school expects to have many more, thanks to the recent news.
“We’re in Chicago, so we have tremendous outreach opportunities where students can gain experience here that they can’t gain anywhere else,” said Lundgren. “And we have almost 100 percent placement rate for graduates (in athletic training) for those who stay in the Chicago area because of the opportunities available. I’m happy.”
For more information about NPU’s athletic training program, call Lundgren at 773-244-6293 or email him at alundgren@northpark.edu.
Copyright © 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.
