| The Unit Accreditation Board (UAB) may grant provisional accreditation to units seeking first accreditation or accreditation with conditions to institutions seeking continuing accreditation. See First
Accreditation Decisions and Continuing
Accreditation Decisions. When the UAB grants provisional accreditation or accreditation with conditions, it can require the unit to undergo a focused visit or submit documentation to address the unmet standard(s). In instances in which the Unit Accreditation Board requests a focused visit, the visit must be scheduled by the institution and must take place within two years of the date of the provisional or conditional decision.
Procedures for preparing for the focused visit are available in the accompanying Timeline
for Focused Visits. Additional information is provided below. |
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| Length of the Visit
|
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| The length of the visit will
be shorter than a regular visit, usually Sunday to Tuesday.
NCATE staff and the unit will determine the length of the
visit. The length of the visit can be altered following the
previsit if circumstances suggest that a change is warranted. |
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| Focused Institutional Report |
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| The focused institutional report
is similar to a regular institutional report in that it contains
an overview of the institution and a description of the unit’s
conceptual framework. Instead of including evidence for meeting
each standard, however, it includes evidence for meeting each
standard that was previously not met. The focused institutional
report should be no longer than 25 pages, with most of the
pages devoted to the previously unmet standard(s). The report must address the entire unmet standard(s), element by element, including any previously cited areas for improvement. Institutions should refer to the Handbook for Accreditation Visits section
on institutional reports for information that applies both
to institutional reports and focused institutional reports. |
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| Preparations for the Visit |
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| Information in the Handbook
for Accreditation Visits applies, with the understanding that
the unit will be preparing for a smaller team. |
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| Program Reviews |
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| Institutions are not required
to submit program reviews in preparation for a focused visit.
However, units may, if they wish, present additional information
from program reviews as evidence for meeting Standard 1. |
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| Third Party Testimony |
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| It is not necessary for institutions
preparing for a focused visit to publish a “Call for
Comment” inviting third-party testimony.
|
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| Size of the BOE Team |
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| At least three BOE members are assigned to a team for a focused visit, with the size of the team dependent on the number of standards to be examined, the previously unmet standard(s), and the size and complexity of the unit. |
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| Budget for the Visit |
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| Institutions are required to
pay a Periodic Evaluation Fee of $2,000 to $3,000 during the
semester of their review by the Board of Examiners. The fee
depends on the size of the team. |
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| Focused BOE Report |
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| The focused BOE report includes
a cover page, table of contents, and summary of findings for
the previously unmet standards. The focused BOE report also
includes an introduction and brief description of the unit’s
conceptual framework, as well as findings for each previously
unmet standard. Similar to a regular BOE report, the focused
BOE report includes sources of evidence and corrections (if
any) to the focused institutional report. The report must address the entire unmet standard(s), element by element, and any previously cited areas for improvement should be identified as "corrected" or "continued." (New areas for improvement may also be cited). BOE members should
refer to the Handbook for Accreditation Visits for information
that applies both to BOE reports and focused BOE reports. |
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| Possible Accreditation Decisions |
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If the unit (or the initial
or advanced level programs within the unit) had been provisionally
accredited before the focused visit, the Unit Accreditation
Board (UAB) has the option to grant continued accreditation
or to revoke accreditation. If the UAB grants continued accreditation,
the next full accreditation visit will occur three years after
the focused visit, in keeping with the five-year accreditation
cycle for institutions accredited for the first time.
If the unit (or the initial or advanced level programs within
the unit) had been accredited with conditions before the focused
visit, the UAB has the option to grant continued accreditation
or to revoke accreditation. If the UAB grants continued accreditation,
the next full accreditation visit will occur five years after
the focused visit, to return the institution to its regular
seven-year accreditation cycle. (Some variations may occur
in states that operate on a five-year accreditation cycle.) |
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| State Partnerships |
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| Focused visits will honor the
state partnership context established for other accreditation
visits. |
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