F.A. Davis Accreditation

The Accreditation Process 1. 1. You must prepare for two main components of the accreditation process. The first, the self- study period, involves writing a report based on the standards of the accrediting agency to illustrate how your school or programmeets (or exceeds) these standards. The second is a site visit, where representatives of the agency visit your school to confirm the claims of quality in the self-study report are accurate. Often these surveyors are faculty and administrators from schools or programs just like yours. 2. The standards of the accrediting agency usually assess the following components: § Mission and Objectives § Administration and Management, including qualifications for positions § Financial capability to support the school/program § Compliance with Government standards, including those regulating representation of school, advertising, and recruitment § Physical Environment, including management of records § Program of Study, including credit/contact hours, course catalogue, use of an advisory board, and documentation of planning through meeting minutes § Curriculum, Competencies and Clinical Experiences • Syllabi • Resources available for teaching • Evidence of teaching processes, including examples of student work § Students, including student services and student record management § Faculty • Management of Programs • Credentials

• Faculty/student ratios • Faculty development

Evaluation

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Retention rate

§ Pass Rate of program licensure or certification rate § Job placement rate § Student and constituent satisfaction § Other criteria the school/program deems important

3. The list of standards above may seem overwhelming, but the accrediting agency has developed specific criteria related to each standard, which are outlined in an accreditation manual. READ and RESPOND to each criterion. 4. Most accrediting bodies provide a workshop (either in person or virtually) to explain the accrediting process and the specific standards and criteria. This is a helpful session because it provides you with an opportunity to ask questions. BE SURE TO ATTEND .