Campus News & Resources

Asst. Professor Luke Beach and Dr. Dave Hutson Make an Impact on Athletic Administration Professional Development

Dr. Dave Hutson and Asst. Professor Luke Beach facilitated a partnership with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) and the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA). The NIAAA is considered the national organization for all high school and middle school athletic administrators in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

The NIAAA historically partners only with university graduate programs, and are selective with the universities they partner with. Currently, there are only 11 universities in the U.S. who are granted approval to offer NIAAA certification courses. Due to Dr. Hutson and Asst. Prof. Beach’s efforts, the NIAAA has approved RCU to be the only program in Michigan and the first undergraduate bachelor’s program in the U.S. to offer a NIAAA certification. The Registered Athletic Administrator (RAA) certification offering will begin in the 2025-2026 academic year.