COAPRT Practitioner Representative

The Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions (COAPRT), sponsored by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), is the national body that accredits Baccalaureate programs in parks, recreation, tourism, and related professions.  The Council consists of ten members who represent the profession, including five educators from accredited institutions, three practitioners, one college/university administrator holding an academic appointment of administrative rank, and one public representative. 

Core Requirements for Council Members:

1. Current full-time employment in parks, recreation, tourism, or a related profession; or if retired, no more than five (5) years outside full-time employment in parks, recreation, tourism, or a related profession;
2. At least one academic degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate) in parks, recreation, tourism, or a related professional specialization;
3. Seven (7) years or more of full-time professional experience in parks, recreation, tourism, or a related professional specialization;
4. Participation in an approved COAPRT Accreditation training within the past five years;
5. Maintenance of updated credentials and renewal forms;
6. Positive peer and institutional evaluations from involvement with previous visits, if applicable; and
7. Membership in NRPA or other related national or international professional association.

Additional Requirements for Practitioners:

1. A working relationship with higher education in the last three (3) years as evidenced by involvement such as:
   1. (a) Supervision of fieldwork and/or internship students enrolled in parks, recreation, tourism, and or related professional specialization curricula;
   2. (b) Service on a planning committee or an advisory group to a college/university program in parks, recreation, tourism, or a related professional specialization; and/or
   3. (c) Teaching experiences in a program on a full- or part-time basis.

Council members serve three-year terms and may not serve more than two consecutive full terms. Council members review Program self-study reports for compliance with standards, review and approve visitation reports, and establish accreditation policies, procedures, and standards. These responsibilities require approximately twenty to fifty hours of commitment outside of the annual meeting at NRPA Conference each fall. Meetings are scheduled twice annually; a spring teleconference lasting three to four hours and an annual meeting in the fall lasting three to four days.