Preconditions should be submitted to NCATE electronically. The guidelines below should assist an institution in preparing its preconditions submission.
 
General Guidelines for All Submissions

• Number all pages consecutively, including appendices, attachments, etc.

• Use a consistent font size throughout the entire document.

• Include a table of contents indicating where documentation for each precondition can be found.

• Label each supporting document to match the documentation outlined in the preconditions table (e.g., 1.2, 3.1, or 4.4).

• Submit relevant pages of source documents rather than the full document; do not submit entire catalogs or other extraneous documents.

• Indicate on source documents (1) the name of the source document (e.g., Faculty Handbook) and (2) the date of the source document.

• Ensure that documentation for each precondition, especially Precondition #4, can stand on its own without the documentation for other preconditions.

• Include a list of the program reports that are being submitted for Precondition #3. The program reports, if submitted, must be submitted as separate documents. If the institution is located in a state that does not require the submission of program review documents, the response to Precondition #3 should indicate the terms of the state partnership agreement regarding program report submission.

• The institution should have one copy of the preconditions submission in the exhibit room during the on-site visit.

Guidelines for Submissions

The preconditions are to be submitted by uploading the files into NCATE‘s database (AIMS), using the following guidelines:

• Once an education unit has been established as a precandidate (by submission of an "Intent to Seek NCATE Accreditation" form) and after NCATE has received notifications of plans to submit preconditions, a workspace in AIMS will be set up for the education unit. Directions specific to uploading into AIMS (e.g., URL, Login ID, Password for access to the AIMS workspace, etc.) will be emailed at that time.

• Precondition #4, the conceptual framework, should be submitted as one file, and the other preconditions should be submitted as a separate file or files. If the file sizes are large, it might be necessary to upload each attachment as a separate file.

• Upload the submissions in a format that can be read in either Word or PDF when received at the NCATE office.

• Scanned letters (PDF format) are acceptable for the documentation requiring copies of letters.