The Collision Repair Technology program at Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus in Ozark, Arkansas has received re-accreditation by NATEF and The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). ATU-Ozark’s collision repair program has been reaccredited in painting and refinishing.
The work of the collision repair technician consists of those jobs that require knowledge of automotive construction and a relatively high degree of manual dexterity. Students enrolled in this program will become skilled in frame alignment, dent removal, replacing damaged parts, color matching, painting, and basic principles of airbrushing.
According to aseeducationfoundation.org, “The 5-step accreditation process is engineered to evaluate a school’s automotive service program—its structure, processes, resources, materials, and mission. We perform a thorough, strategic review and offer accreditation to programs that meet the requirements of the industry’s instructional standards. For each program—Automobile, Collision Repair and Refinish, or Medium/Heavy Duty Truck—the accreditation process is the same; an effective methodology that dives deep into the program structure.”
Kenneth Floyd, the CRT Department Chair, shared the importance of the accreditation.
“Having the ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) Accreditation is excellent for the CRT program. It gives the students an advantage in the industry ahead of “off the street” new employees, which is accomplished by “Entry Level” ASE certifications. The only way to obtain an ASE Certification is by completing the ATU-Ozark course or being a Collision Repair Technician in the field for a minimum of two years and then completing a rigorous test and paying a fee. This certification solidifies the fact that ATU-Ozark has a great program through the in-depth process to complete and be an accredited program.”
Floyd continued, “The accreditation was a great success on both the academic and technical sides of our program. The on-site evaluation team leader was impressed with our ideology of using the same estimating software as used in the industry to use as assessment for the students.”
The Ozark Campus CRT program has an impressive “live shop” where students perform tasks on real automobiles owned by community members. The Ozark Campus CRT program is one of the few programs that still use this method of educating students, which is described as more complicated than the systematic method used at other technical schools in the United States. In addition, the Ozark Campus CRT program also uses the new green technology water-based paints in addition to implementing solvent-based paints.
Sheila Jacobs, ATU-Ozark Chief Academic Officer, stated, “We are extremely proud of Mr. Floyd and the Collision Repair Program at ATU-Ozark. It is an exemplary program that produces skill and talent to the industry.”
Bruce Sikes, ATU-Ozark Chancellor, added, “The Ozark Campus of Arkansas Tech University is committed to quality educational programming. NATEF accreditation verifies our commitment to serving our students and industry.”
To learn more about the CRT program, please visit www.atu.edu/ozark.