North American University (NAU) is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

Stafford, Texas Stafford is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, in the metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County, with a small part in Harris County. As of the 2020 census, Stafford's population was 17,666, down from 17,693 at the 2010 census. H ...

. NAU offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Computer Science, and Education. In the fall of 2013, the university changed its name from Texas Gulf Institute to its current name.

History

NAU is an institution of higher education founded as Texas Gulf Institute in April 2007. The institute offered certificate programs for the first two years of its inception. Upon approval by the

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is an agency of the U.S. state of Texas's government that oversees all public post-secondary education in the state. It is headquartered at 1801 North Congress Avenue in Austin. THECB det ...

( THECB) to offer bachelor's degree programs in July 2010, the school applied to change its name to North American College (NAC). During the 2010–11 academic year the college moved into its new administrative and educational building located at 3203 N. Sam Houston Pkwy West in Houston, Texas. In 2017, physician Serif Ali Tekalan was appointed the third president of the university, succeeding Recayi "Reg" Pecen, an engineer, who had been appointed in 2012. In May 2013, the college had its first commencement. The class of 2013 included twelve students; nine graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration and three with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in education. In the fall of 2013, NAC changed to its name to North American University (NAU). There are more than 800 students in its ESL, bachelor's degree and master's degree programs. Students come from over 33 U.S. states and over 54 countries.

Academics

NAU offers three bachelor's degree programs: Interdisciplinary Studies in Education, Computer Science, Criminal Justice and Business Administration. Bachelor's degree programs are organized under a different administrative department. NAU also offers five master's degree programs: M.Ed. in educational leadership, M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, M.Ed. in School Counseling, MBA, and an M.S. in Computer Science. The university is accredited by the

Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States that provides national accreditation to private post-secondary educational institutions. It is recognized by the ...

and approved by

to award bachelor's and master's degrees. The Gulf Language School is accredited by

The Commission on English Language Program Accreditation The Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) is a specialized accrediting agency that accredits post-secondary English language training programs. CEA states that its purpose is to provide a systematic approach by which programs ...

. In June 2023 the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

educational accreditor rejected the university's application for accreditation. The accreditor's board found NAU unable to comply with the board's standards for hiring full-time faculty, financial resources and financial documentation.

Athletics

The North American athletic teams are called the Stallions. The university competes as a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA), primarily competing in the

Red River Athletic Conference The Red River Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference's 13 member institutions are located in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. History T ...

(RRAC) as an associate member since the 2023–24 academic year, while their football team competes as an associate member in the

Sooner Athletic Conference The Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Originally developed as a five-team conference of Oklahoma-based schools, the SAC now boasts 12 s ...

. The Stallions previously competed as an NAIA Independent within the Continental Athletic Conference during the 2022–23 school year (when the school joined the NAIA). North American competes in eight intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, football, soccer and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, soccer, cross country and track & field. They are looking to add more sports in the near future. Esports, cheerleading, volleyball, and wrestling.

Staff

The athletic director is Kenneth Apande.

Football

Their football program competed without affiliation for a few years. They were led by head coach Kenneth Apande. Their first season was during the COVID pandemic fall 2020.

Student services

University dorms, which are located on the main campus, provide housing and meal services for its residential university students. In addition, there is an academic resource center supported by Student Success. In 2015, NAU added Career and Alumni Services to its student service list and now offers career counseling.

References

External links

Official website

Official Athletics website
{{authority control 2007 establishments in Texas Educational institutions established in 2007 Universities and colleges in Houston Private universities and colleges in Texas