All institutions are required to solicit third-party comment on the quality of their programs as part of the accreditation review process.

Both the institution and NCATE are required to announce the upcoming campus visit approximately six months prior to the scheduled date of the onsite visit. NCATE receives written testimony up to three months before the visit. The institution is given the opportunity to respond to any written comments received prior to the onsite visit. Third-party testimony and the institutional response, if any, become part of the data that the BOE team considers in deciding whether standards are met.

Approximately six months (one semester) before the onsite visit, an institution should announce its upcoming accreditation review, inviting the public to submit written comment to NCATE. At that time, the unit uploads a copy of the announcement in its AIMS workspace. Institutions may solicit third-party comment from relevant public audiences, organizations, and stakeholders through direct solicitation and announcements in print and/or electronic media.

Any written testimony submitted to NCATE is uploaded into AIMS to provide the institution an opportunity to respond to comments. If the institution chooses to prepare a written response to third-party testimony, the response should be submitted in AIMS. The institution and BOE chair will know that no third-party testimony has been submitted if AIMS does not include any entries.

For questions, please contact Monica Siengo at: msiengo@ncate.org

See also:

Invitation for Third Party Testimony