Historically Black College and University Faculty’s Perception of Commission on Sport Management Accreditation and Perceived Barriers

Program-level accreditation ensures that students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in a career that is based on industry standards. Numerous researchers have reported the cost and benefits of pursuing specialized accreditation in different disciplines. There is a dearth of research related to specialized accreditation at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in general and none specifically for sport management accreditation. Therefore, this study aims to fill the void of research on the perception of the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) by faculty and administrators at HBCUs. The researchers were given permission to utilize an existing survey. Results of this study found that the top benefits of accreditation were accountability for program improvements and recognition as a superior (elite) program/institution. Cost and redundancy were reported as major barriers to COSMA. Although HBCUs must deal with fewer resources and a lower budget than most predominantly White institutions (PWI), they are evaluated using the same accreditation standards as PWIs. Therefore, if HBCU sport management programs are going to seek accreditation with COSMA, they must be understood within the context in which they are operating—and how that may be different from PWIs.