CAA SITE VISITS 2011
WHAT TO EXPECT
HOW TO PREPARE
Thursday, 11/18/10
12:00 – 1:00 pm
Marriott Hotel, Franklin Hall, Level Three - Room 8
CAA Site Visit Subcommittee

Dan Halling, chair
Michele Anderson
Jane Baran
Newell Decker
Elaine Frank
Candace Ganz
Judith Page
Rosalind Scudder
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Today’s Objectives

Site Visit -- purpose & timing in review
Agenda Development & Logistics
Preparing documentation
After the Site Visit
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Site Visit Report
CAA’s final review and decisions
Evaluations and performance feedback
Update on CAA activities and policies
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Purpose of the Site Visit
One of several mechanisms used by CAA to
determine compliance with the Standards for
Accreditation
Review by a team of peers
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verifies the accuracy of information provided in the
application about each accreditation standard
resolves any questions or concerns that resulted from
review of the application
provides additional information to CAA to make
accreditation decisions
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Purpose of the Site Visit
Past verification looked only at
the process.
Now, in addition to reviewing
the policies and processes, we
look at
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how well the program meets its
goals
whether the program is successful
with respect to student
achievement
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A few basic questions...
What should your graduates
look like?
How did you determine this?
Did you share this vision with
all students, faculty, and
supervisors?
How are these elements
assessed and improvements
made?
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Prior to the Site Visit
CAA reviews application & provides initial
observations back to the program
Program has opportunity to respond to
observations and provide updates about
new faculty hires.
Site visit team is given access to the
application materials, CAA’s initial
observations, & the program’s response
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Does the program have input on
when the visit occurs?
YES. The program identifies the dates
for site visit team to come to campus.
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Team expected to see “typical” days in the program
• Don’t provide dates during Spring Break or Final Exams!
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Bear in mind dates of other accreditation site visits that
may affect the program (e.g., NCATE)
• CAA is happy to coordinate simultaneous visits with sufficient
notice.
Potential dates should be provided to
Accreditation Office staff when application is
submitted.
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Send to R’Chelle Mullins ([email protected])
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Team Composition
How many people are coming to campus?
Standard team (single professional area) = 3 members
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2 academics + 1 practitioner
Team for SLP-only = 3 SLPs
Team for audiology-only = 3 Audiologists
Standard team for SLP & audiology
= 4 members
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1 academic from each professional area +
1 practitioner from each professional are
Trainees or observers may accompany team
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Does the program have input on
who serves on the team?
YES!
Program is asked to eliminate individuals from the
site visitor roster that pose a conflict of interest
before the visit is scheduled.
In addition, site visitors are asked to identify
programs that may be a conflict of interest for them
to serve as a site visitor.
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Observers on Site Visits
Members of the CAA routinely observe site
visits to
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complete CAA members’ education
allow opportunity for assessment of site visit
process for consistency, best practices, and ideas
for training and continuing professional
development for pool of site visitors
Individual programs are not the focus of the
observers participation in the visit
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CAA has established precautions to protect
program if/when an observer is assigned
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Myth vs. Fact #1
Site visitors have the authority to
recommend accreditation status for a
program, including probation.
No, the above statement is a MYTH. The role of the
site visitors is to verify evidence of a program’s
compliance with accreditation standards.
The CAA has the sole authority to make accreditation
decisions, considering information contained in the
site visit report, as well as any updates provided by
the program in its response to the site visit report.
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Agenda Development &
Logistics
Who is responsible
for what?
And when?
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Who’s responsible for
developing the agenda?
Program Director should take the lead to prepare a draft
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Build-in time for breaks and travel between locations if events are
scheduled in different buildings
Sample agendas provided in the Site Visit Manual
(http://www.asha.org/academic/accreditation/svmanual/ )
Consult with the Site Visit Team Chair at least 30 days in
advance
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Share draft agenda
SV Team Chair will make recommendations
about order of events, logistics, people, or time
SV Team Chair has final authority
for agenda
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On-site Scheduling
Site visitors can be separated:
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to visit with individual faculty and supervisors, if
time permits
for public and/or student meeting(s), as
appropriate
Site visitors should be scheduled together for
meetings with Program Director, Dean,
Provost, etc.
It is not necessary to schedule observations
in the clinic.
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How long will the team be
visiting?
Standard visit is 2 full days
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Monday-Tuesday
Thursday-Friday
Days may be added if the
program
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Has multiple campuses
Has satellite campus(es)
Is part of a consortium
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Who participates in the visit?
Program Director, Clinic Director, Dept. Chair (if
different than program director)

Full- and part-time academic faculty
Clinical educators & supervisors (on- & off-campus)
Administrators: deans, provost, president
Students & Alumni
Support staff
Employers
Clients & their families
Members of the campus or local communities...
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What do I need to do about organizing a
“public meeting”?
CAA policy requires programs to schedule meetings for
students and consumers
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separate meetings may be held for each
Must “widely” publish an announcement
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no later than 15 days prior to the site visit
program determines vehicle (campus/local newspaper, clinic or
campus flyers, etc.)
Announcement should indicate
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date, time, & place of meeting(s) with site visitors
how CAA Standards and/or Policy on Public Comment may be
obtained
Access policy online:
http://www.asha.org/academic/accreditation/svmanual/part4.htm#pu
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blic_comment2
Public Comments
Can programs solicit public comments
for submission to CAA before the visit?
Yes. Programs may contact students, alumni, clients,
community members, etc. to inform them about the
options to provide comments before or during the
site visit. CAA’s Policy on Public Comment
outlines the process for submitting information to the
CAA.
Written comments must be signed and include
contact information to allow for verification.
Any comments are not shared directly with
programs; rather they are considered as part of the
aggregate data.
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Will the team need to go off-campus to
conduct reviews/interviews?
Not necessarily. Phone interviews can be
conducted with external supervisors,
employers, or alumni.
If there is not an on-campus
clinic, teams prefer to go to
regularly used clinical site(s)
close to campus, if possible.
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Logistics for site visit team
Secure work space/office
Access to computer with
printer & Internet
Access to phone for
interviews
Restaurant/food options
Assistance with
transportation
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Logistics: Hotel Accommodations
Program director
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selects hotel, makes reservations
will provide visitors with hotel contact
information
Site visitors
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may need to contact hotel to guarantee
room
will pay for room (and is then reimbursed
by ASHA/CAA)
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Myth vs. Fact #2
The program should provide evening
entertainment while the site visitors are in
town.
The above statement is a MYTH! The site visitors are
expected to meet with their teammates in the
evenings to prepare for the next days’ events. Also,
social activities may be perceived as a conflict of
interest for the visitor during the time of the visit.
Other examples of conflicts for site visitors would be:
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Asking for or accepting gifts
Accepting or requesting a sample of wares
Accepting payment for meals
Recruiting instructional staff
Recruiting students
Accepting employment positions
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Documentation
What will site visitors
be looking for?
Information that
provides evidence that
the program is
complying with all
standards.
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Documentation on-site is used by
site visitors to:
verify information from
application
ensure policies are in
practice – and practices
are in policies
confirm student
achievement/progress
tracking
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What will they expect to see?
Documentation should be prepared for the site
visitors.
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Two key online resources that help identify these can
be found on the Site Visit section of the Web site
• Review Materials for CAA Site Visit
• 2008 Sources of Data (in Site Visit Manual)
Examples of on-site documentation include:
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Handbooks (University/Department/Program)
All course syllabi
Assessment instruments and data
Lists of student files, current and past 3 years
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Documentation Prep/Access
Consider making
key documentation
available to the Site
Visit team in
advance of the visit.
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Virtual
Workroom/library
Web site
Flash Drive
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Access to files
FERPA - students
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Allows access to student files for purposes of
accreditation
Site visitors will not record or report any identifying
information.
HIPAA - clinic “covered entity”
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Need release forms to access client files or site visitors
may sign a form acknowledging confidentiality
Program may prepare files to strip all identifying
information, but it is not necessary.
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Myth vs. Fact #3
Site visitors will expect to find a “KASA”
form for each student.
The above statement is a MYTH. The CAA does not
require programs to keep a Knowledge and Skills
Acquisition (KASA) summary form in each student file.
[The KASA form was developed to assist in tracking for
ASHA certification process.]
However, evidence should exist for tracking a student’s:
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acquisition of knowledge and skills
supervised clinical practicum hours
progress toward graduation
progress toward state and national credentials
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Myth vs. Fact #4
Site visitors’ in-depth knowledge of the
program is typically limited to the current
accreditation application and related
resources, (e.g., program’s Web site).
The above statement is a FACT. The site visit team
is not provided past applications or annual reports for
their review for the visit. Nor is a history of the
program’s identified strengths and limitations provided.
Site visitors are encouraged to review the Web pages
of the program and university to verify data and its
currency.
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Site Visit Report
Site visit team is required to generate a
report of the site visit.
Site visit report
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becomes official record of team’s
observations
considered a critical element by the CAA to
make fair, impartial, and informed
decisions on program’s accreditation
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Report of the Site Visit
Presented twice to the program:
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orally at end of visit (Exit Report)
written and submitted to
Accreditation Office within 30 days
of the visit
Program can expect to receive
their written copy 6-8 weeks after
visit
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Myth vs. Fact #5
Observations reported by the team may
be different than those identified by the
CAA in its initial review of the
application.
The above statement is a FACT. The Site
Visit team has access to documentation onsite that the CAA does not have while
conducting its initial review of the application.
As a result, the site visitors may offer a
different perspective on the program’s ability
to document compliance.
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Site Visit Report response
Copies of the site visit report are sent to:
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Program Director
President or designee, such as the provost or
dean - whoever signed the application
authorization
Both entities are offered opportunity to
provide written response within 30 days
regarding the accuracy of the site visitors'
observations before the CAA makes a final
accreditation decision.
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CAA Decisions
CAA makes most final accreditation
decisions at face-to-face meetings
2x/year
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Spring site visits = July meeting
Fall site visits = February meeting
Programs can typically expect decisions
3-5 months after site visit; 12 months
after application submission
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… and no later than 30 days after the meeting
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Myth vs. Fact #6
The site visit team’s findings are the only
data used by CAA for final accreditation
decision and citations.
The above statement is a MYTH.
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The CAA considers all information, from the
accreditation application through the program’s
response to the site visit report and any program
updates, to determine a program’s compliance with
each standard and the resulting accreditation
decision.
The CAA’s final decision and citations may differ
from SV team observations, as the CAA has access
to updated information from the program after the
site visit.
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Evaluations
Complete and return your Site Visitor
Evaluations immediately following the
site visit, in order to provide
performance feedback on each
member of your site visit team.
The new evaluation form includes a
numeric rating system along with
consolidated knowledge and skill
areas, as tied to specific roles,
responsibilities, and expected
behaviors of site visitors.
It can be accessed online as an
appendix to the Site Visit Manual.
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Myth vs. Fact #7
Returning completed site visitor
evaluations before the final decision is
rendered will affect the results of the
accreditation decision.
The above statement is a MYTH! The
evaluations are used to improve the site visit
process and performance of site visitors.
Evaluation materials are not considered when
the CAA renders accreditation decisions.
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Update on CAA Activities

New Reporting Requirements
Policy Updates
Higher Education Data System
Accreditation Decisions
CAA Volunteer Opportunities
New Online Resources
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New Reporting – Standard 4.5
Standard 4.5 – NEW STANDARD
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all programs must submit documentation of
compliance after January 1, 2011
addendum available online at
http://www.asha.org/academic/accreditatio
n/CAAHES.htm
Spring 2011 site visits –
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provide an addendum 30 days in advance of site
visit
Fall 2011 site visits –
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submit addendum by February 1 (same time as
application is due)
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New Reporting – Standard 6.1
CAA is required by USDE to regularly
monitor financial stability of its programs.
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Application for Accreditation
• Questions about financial information are included
in the HES.
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Annual Report
• Programs must file addendum with annual report,
as questions are NOT included in HES for annual
reports currently.
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Policy Update
Change in Program
Director
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Program must file
notice of change no
later than 30 days
after the change,
including sabbaticals
New reporting form is
available online
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Policy Update
Change in Administrative
Structure
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Program must file notice of
change no later than 30 days
after the change
Include new organizational chart,
description of continued
compliance with standards,
effective date
Details of policy and procedures
are in Accreditation Manual.
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Policy Update
Requests for Submission Extension
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Submit request no SOONER than 30 days
before due date with:
• Rationale
• Description of progress made so far on report
• Estimate of needed time (up to 45 days beyond
due date)
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Extensions will not be granted for more
than 75 days from original submission
date.
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CAA Reporting in the Higher
Education Data System (HES)
CAA Application
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now open in HES through Feb. 1, 2011
Next round open April 1st -August 1st 2011
CAA Annual Reports
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Now open in HES through Feb. 1, 2011
Access to CAA instruments in HES restricted
based on due dates/report type due
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CAA Volunteer Opportunities
) Want to learn more about the accreditation
peer review process?
) Apply to become a site visitor
Accepting applications through January 2011
•
•
Apply to become a CAA member (term to begin
January 2012)
Call for Nominations in early 2011 for 3 positions:
•
•
3 academic audiologists
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Practice Analysis & Curriculum Study
SLP study completed
2010
Audiology study
completed 2008
Full reports available
for sale at ASHA
Bookstore
(www.asha.org/eweb)47
SITE VISIT RESOURCES
Site Visit Manual
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http://www.asha.org/academic/acc
reditation/svmanual/
Web site - www.asha.org
National Office staff
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1-800-498-2071
• R’Chelle Mullins x5766
[email protected]
• Sue Flesher x5781
[email protected]
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Visit Accreditation Staff
• Where?
•
at ASHA Member Services Center in the
Exhibit Hall
• When?
•
until 3:00pm Saturday
• [email protected]
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QUESTIONS
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