IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a start-up program and is NOT currently accredited. An institution must be in operation for a minimum of two years before beginning the process to initially apply for accreditation. The American Martial Arts College (AMAC) plans to apply for accreditation once the requirements have been met. For further information about accreditation, please visit: The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) at http://www.chea.org , The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) at http://www.acics,org , The Distance Education Training Council (DETC) at http://www.detc.org, The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) at http://www.sacs.org , The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) at http://www.thecb.state.tx.us , and The US Department of Education (USDE) at http://www.ed.gov. These resources are legitimate accrediting agencies recognized by the US Department of Education, as opposed to “Accrediting Mills” which will issue accreditation to any “school” willing to pay a certain amount of money (the CHEA website has more information about “accrediting mills”). The AMAC plans to pursue accreditation through one or more of these listed legitimate agencies.
(Other biographies to be listed when appropriate staff members are hired)
If you are interested in becoming a faculty member of the AMAC, please contact us via e-mail. Provide your educational background, martial arts experience, courses you would desire to teach (online or in residence), and why you feel you are qualified to teach them. Please note that all faculty members must have, as a minimum, a regionally or nationally accredited Bachelor's Degree (Master's Degree or PhD preferred) and extensive verifiable martial arts experience.
Who is Jason McLendon and what makes him qualified to run this program? First, there really are no particular qualifications to run this program. There are no other programs in existence (known by us) that have attempted to provide the curriculum and authentic accreditation this institution is seeking. In addition, there are probably many other people who are much more qualified than Jason McLendon to do this, but they aren't doing it! However, here is some background information:
Academically, he holds a Masters Degree and served as a faculty member for Webster University, teaching at the graduate level in the Business and Organizational Security Management Program. From a martial arts perspective, he has practiced for over twenty-seven years. As a military dependent and member, he lived in many locations around the world and had the opportunity to study and receive ranking in several martial arts. He currently holds a Yondan (4th Degree Black Belt) in Karate as well as Dan ranking in several other arts.
Prior to the establishment of the American Martial Arts College, he ran three other successful businesses, including two Karate dojo (both of which are still in operation) and a private security agency. In addition, he co-founded the nationally acclaimed Community Anti-Terrorism Training Institute, a non-profit corporation.
Mr. McLendon spent ten years in the US Air Force as an Anti-Terrorism Officer and Police Officer, including serving as the commander of a military SWAT Team. His last military assignment was as the Deputy Director of Training for the Air Force Security Forces, which included managing training and educational programs for all aspects of law enforcement and security training for the entire Air Force. He also served as an instructor for several Department of Defense-level anti-terrorism training programs, including teaching law enforcement and military hand-to-hand defensive tactics, non-lethal weapons employment, and program development.
His civilian experience includes serving as a Police Officer, Private Investigator, and Executive Protection Specialist (Bodyguard). In addition, he is a Hostage/Crisis Negotiator, an Emergency Medical Technician and holds the coveted designation as a Certified Protection Professional from ASIS, International. He received his BS in Justice and Public Safety from Auburn University at Montgomery and his MA in Business and Organizational Security Management from Webster University.