Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy

Accreditation

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ACCREDITATION

The faculty and staff in the Department of Recreation Management and Recreational Therapy are proud to have the only nationally accredited undergraduate recreation program in the state of Wisconsin. Every seven years, the Department goes through a rigorous reaccreditation process that includes a year-long self assessment and a careful external review by experts in the recreation profession. Accreditation is done through the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions (COAPRT)

One significant component of accreditation is assessment of major content areas. A summary of the Department's response to COAPRT's student outcomes is described HERE.

COAPRT is a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, meaning it meets the highest standards for evaluating and accrediting university programs. One of COAPRT's concerns is the proliferation of accreditation bodies that do no meet such standards. The staff in the Department of Recreation Management and Recreational Therapy share their concerns, and we encourage you to watch an informative video (http://youtu.be/a1voHNMQDrk) regarding degree and accreditation mills. According to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, "Degree mills and accreditation mills mislead and harm. In the United States, degrees and certificates from mills may not be acknowledged by other institutions when students seek to transfer or go to graduate school. Employers may not acknowledge degrees and certificates from degree mills when providing tuition assistance for continuing education. “Accreditation” from an accreditation mill can mislead students and the public about the quality of an institution. In the presence of degree mills and accreditation mills, students may spend a good deal of money and receive neither an education nor a useable credential." Read more on CHEA's website.