The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) has appointed Andrea C. Smith, EdD, as an academic member of the commission. The appointment of Smith, provost and vice president of Academics Affairs at National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM), Portland, Oregon, is effective immediately. ACAOM is recognized by the US Department of Education as a specialized and professional accrediting agency that establishes comprehensive educational and institutional requirements for acupuncture and Oriental medicine programs and accredits programs and institutions that meet these requirements. ACAOM currently has over 60 schools and colleges with accreditation or candidacy status.
During her 22-year tenure at NCNM, Smith has held many senior administrative positions, including dean of Institutional Research and Assessment; dean of the School of Classical Chinese Medicine; and dean of Student Services. Smith, who holds a doctorate in education in curriculum and instruction from Portland State University, presently oversees 6 doctoral and master’s degree programs in NCNM’s schools of naturopathic medicine, classical Chinese medicine, and research and graduate studies; the departments of student life and institutional research and compliance; the Helfgott Research Institute and NCNM Library; and the offices of the chief medical officer and the dean of academic progress.