ABOUT US
Founded in 2007, NAEAA is a non-profit professional organization representing individuals from public and private institutions and the equine industry that strive to educate undergraduates within an equine academic program.
Our core belief is that there is educational and societal value in the equine disciplines of study.
Our mission is to strengthen post-secondary equine academic programs, provide networking opportunities, and facilitate increased cooperation and information sharing among our members.
NAEAA association goals include:
Provide a venue to share ideas and information concerning equine programs.
Provide assistance to colleges and equine programs to develop, expand, and improve curricular offerings.
Develop a comprehensive database of “best practices” – ranging from the optimum number of students in a riding class to ways to work with animal right activists on or near a campus.
Provide assistance to faculty/staff in developing program quality standards for informal assessment or required formal assessment.
Develop national and international internship and exchange opportunities for students in member institutions.
Develop faculty exchange programs between member institutions.
NAEAA HISTORY
The initial work to found the National Association of Equine Affiliated Academics (NAEAA) occurred in 2006 as a component of a research project into views surrounding legitimacy of newer kinds of undergraduate academic disciplines (Bump, 2006, 2009).
Among the tools for building and sustaining legitimacy was the importance of an organizational structure that binds together those that work within a discipline and encourages networking, collaboration, and the building of a body of knowledge surrounding the discipline.
Recognizing the absence of an organizational structure in the undergraduate equine discipline, conversations began to determine the need for, and interest in, creating structure.
Finding overwhelming support, NAEAA was incorporated in 2007 (NY) as a not-for-profit with a volunteer Board of Directors and organizers.
Our core belief is that there is educational and societal value in the equine discipline of study. A commitment to high impact, low cost meetings and research projects resonates through our work which aims to:
1) explain, promote, and defend the value of educational offering with equines;
2) develop stronger links with direct and indirect industries for career opportunities, emerging needs, and stakeholder support; and
3) understand and address barriers to both 1 and 2.
References:
Bump, K. (2006). The Emergence Equine Studies as an Academic Discipline in U.S. Higher Education - Emergence & Challenge. naeaa.com/articles/NAEAAarticle1.doc
Bump K. (2009). On the fence of legitimacy: A framework for understanding and assessing the legitimacy of new academic disciplines in higher education. Albany: The State University of New York; 2009. 260 pp.
CONTACT US
Consider reaching out to the Board member or Committee chair that most closely matches the topic of your question.
For all other questions or inquiries, please email naeaa.info@gmail.com.