ISSA Industry Affiliations and Recognition

ISSA Industry Affiliations and Recognition

NBFE Provisional Affiliate

The National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure to the public that qualified fitness professionals who have successfully passed the National Board examination have achieved an approved level of competency in the health and fitness industry. The NBFE promotes the services of qualified fitness professions as a viable means of improving public health. http://www.NBFE.org

GI Bill Approved

The Veterans Benefits Administration provides benefits and services to the veterans and their families in a responsive, timely and compassionate manner in recognition of their service to the Nation. ISSA is approved by the Bureau for Private and Post-Secondary Vocational Education under contract with the Veteran's Administration. Active military, veterans, and eligible spouses and dependents can now receive reimbursement from the Veterans Administration for testing fees for any of the 10 International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) fitness certifications. Licensing & Certification code: 4202421.

http://www.gibill.va.gov/Education/LCweb/search.asp or http://www.gibill.va.gov

New York Chiropractic College

New York Chiropractic College assists future doctors of chiropractic achieve their career goals, New York Chiropractic College offers a unique educational program that gives students access to many career possibilities. The mission of New York Chiropractic College is to provide leadership and academic excellence in all our degree granting programs through a commitment to quality education and patient care, research excellence, professional service, and the fostering of lifelong learning for all members of our community. ISSA is approved for continuing education credits for chiropractors through the New York Chiropractic College (NYCC).

http://www.nycc.edu

IHRSA Member

IHRSA stands for "International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association." IHRSA is a trade association serving the health and fitness club industry. IHRSA's mission is to grow, protect and promote the health and fitness industry, and to provide its members with benefits that will help them be more successful.

Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) system in the U.S. extends across the nation; coast-to-coast, and in Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico. The BBB's mission is to promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between businesses and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence.

Accreditation

ISSA is actively pursuing accreditation with a nationally recognized accrediting agency that is authorized by the U.S. Secretary of Education through the United States Department of Education (USDoE) and the Council for Higher Education in America (CHEA).

We have voluntarily elected to apply for and pursue accreditation through this accrediting body to offer the public assurance that we, as a distance education provider and certification body:

• have met certain standards of the USDoE and CHEA;
• provide the quality of education we claim;
• operate on a sound financial basis;
• have approved programs of study, qualified instructors, adequate facilities and equipment;
• utilize effective recruitment and admission policies; and
• advertise our courses truthfully.

We believe that pursuing a USDoE and CHEA approved accreditation will help to legitimize the perception of fitness educators by the public and give the entire profession more credibility as a wellness provider. We also believe that undergoing this voluntary process to provide the public assurance as to who we are and what we do as deemed acceptable by the USDoE and the CHEA is congruent with IHRSA’s mission to “protect and promote the health and fitness industry”. The accreditation process that we have all chosen to pursue is much more involved and takes longer to complete than the NCCA accreditation process.

We have chosen not to pursue NCCA because it is not recognized by either the USDoE or CHEA as an approved accrediting body. Further, NCCA standards specifically state that any organization that seeks accreditation of their examination, can NOT require any courses, classes, training, or workshops as a prerequisite to sit for their examination. We believe that students should be required to complete educational courses, classes and training prior to taking an examination to become a personal trainer.

Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce

ISSA is a proud member of the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit organization dealing with local commerce for the Santa Barbara area. Their mission is to foster the economic vitality and quality of life within the Santa Barbara Region.

http://www.sbchamber.org