Ellen Epping, clinical instructor II and coordinator of the athletic training education program, was selected by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) Site Visitor Ad Hoc committee for site visit training for 2014. She will be involved with training sessions from 2013-2014. Site Visitors receive formal and organized training through workshops of various lengths conducted by CAATE Commissioners.
Some of the critical attributes that CAATE is looking for are listed on their website. They state that “effective Site Visitors demonstrate maturity, objectivity, diplomacy and dedication. They project an image of professionalism both in behavior and in appearance. Site Visitors appreciate the confidential nature of the task and understand the need for self-initiative, for a cooperative attitude, for an analytic approach to the task, and for necessary degrees of flexibility.”
Epping came to UCA in the fall of 2001 to coordinate the operation of the Athletic Training Education Program. With her leadership, the program first received accreditation in 2004. In 2010, the program completed a comprehensive accreditation review and demonstrated compliance with the nationally established Standards of CAATE and was accredited for a 10-year period. During her time in the program, it has evolved from four faculty and six students to eight faculty members and twenty-five to thirty students a year. Fifty-Seven UCA athletic training graduates have become certified athletic trainers since the year 2005. Under her guidance, the students have been above the national average for first time pass rate on the BOC exam.
There are currently 12 UCA graduates serving as athletic trainers in Arkansas in secondary schools, colleges, universities and graduate assistantships.