Rome, Ga. — Shorter University’s Traditional, Online, and Graduate programs in Sport Management recently earned accreditation through the Commission of Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) organization. 

“We are delighted by this stamp of approval for our outstanding programs in Sport Management,” said Shorter University President Dr. Don Dowless. “Our programs in this area have been consistently recognized for excellence in a number of national rankings. We are blessed to have a faculty committed to providing hands-on opportunities for our students to put their lessons into action while training them to be outstanding in their chosen field.” 

COSMA is a specialized accrediting body whose purpose is to promote and recognize excellence in sport management education worldwide in colleges and universities at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels through specialized accreditation. 

“Programs, students, employers, and the general public all benefit from the external verification of quality provided through COSMA’s accreditation process. They also benefit from the process of continuous quality improvement that is encouraged by COSMA’s developmental approach to promoting excellence in sport management education,” said Dr. Heath Hooper, Dean of Shorter’s Ledbetter College of Business. 

“Our Sport Management program has had a rich history of excellence in its national rankings, student leadership and community involvement,” he added. “Earning COSMA accreditation adds additional value to our degrees and student reputability as they move into the next phase of their career endeavors. 

“The COSMA achievement has been a vision set forth by the late Dr. Bob Stinchcomb, Chair of Sport Management at Shorter from 2015 to 2018. That vision is now a reality as it has been a unified effort by the Sport Management Team, College of Business faculty, and Shorter University’s administration,” Dr. Hooper said.  

Dr. Micah Natale, Chair of Shorter’s Sport Management Department, expressed appreciation to all those involved in navigating the accreditation process.  

“Dedication, rigor, collaboration, virtuous, leadership, communication, teamwork, innovation —all elements that are required to achieve greatness! I am abundantly grateful for the team of faculty, staff, and students with which I get to work. Thank you to the COSMA Board of Commissioners for this distinction. Thank you, Shorter University Administration, for the leadership and unwavering support.” 

Dr. Hooper added that the accreditation announcement was positively received by Shorter’s Sport Management students. “Our students are as excited as our faculty and administrative team. When I told my class, I could see their smiles underneath the masks. Immediately, the smiles became a round of applause. The newly developed Hawks Sport Society continues to be a driving force for our Sport Management program as they recruit students, volunteer in the community, and set goals for all students. I want to especially thank the executive team of 2019-2020 for their contribution as each individual had a hand in helping reach our goal of earning accreditation.”  

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christ-centered, four-year liberal arts university committed to excellence in education.  U.S. News & World  Report and  The Princeton Review  annually include Shorter on their lists of best Southeastern Colleges. The university offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 40 areas of study, online courses and degree programs, undergraduate programs for working adults, associate’s, and master’s programs.