Administrative Preparation of Undergraduate Athletic Training Program Directors

摘要

ADMINISTRATIVE PREPARATION OF UNDERGRADUATE ATHLETIC TRAINING PROGRAM DIRECTORSBridgett Mary Passauer, EdDUniversity of Pittsburgh, 2004Throughout higher education, faculty members have assumed the roles and responsibilities of academic administrators. The field of athletic training is no different. Certified athletic trainers assume the roles and responsibilities of academic administrators when they are named program directors. The purpose of this study was to determine if undergraduate athletic training program directors perceived themselves as prepared for the roles and responsibilities of academic administration. The undergraduate athletic training program directors were also asked for suggestions on how best to prepare future athletic training program directors. Eighty-nine undergraduate athletic training program directors responded to an electronically distributed survey which revealed that, overall, undergraduate athletic training program directors do not feel prepared for the roles and responsibilities associated with academic administration. One of the interesting results was found when analyzing the difference between types of candidates selected for the position of undergraduate athletic training program director. Internal candidates had higher mean scores for all roles and responsibilities however; only one of the mean scores was above a 3.00. The overall population of respondents rated the role of leader and mentor as the role they felt most prepared for with the role of faculty developer being the role they felt least prepared for. When asked to recommend the level of education that a program specifically geared toward educating future athletic training program directors, a minimum of a Master's degree was recommended by all respondents. This research further supports previous research, which sites the need for more comprehensive preparation of academic administrators, ideally prior to, but minimally, once appointed to the position of academic administrator.