Process of Accreditation The eight steps in the accreditation process are: 1. Determination of Eligibility 2. Submit Application and Other Required Information Institution submits application with application fee: To initiate the accreditation process, the <a Application for Accreditation, and the $1,000 accreditation fee (or $500 reaccreditation fee), must be submitted to the Council. Acceptance of the application is not an indication or assessment of the institution’s compliance with Standards for Accreditation but simply an initial indicator of congruence with the eligibility requirements. CAOHS accepts applications from institutions that have been operating as a bona fide distance education institution or organization and enrolling students for at least two years. The CEO must sign the “Certification of Application” in the Application. In doing so, the CEO agrees that at least one key person has completed the course, CAOHS Course on Preparing for Accreditation. Upon receipt of the Application, the Council staff will consult with the institution as needed. Receiving the Application begins the formal process. The steps obligated in the accreditation process must be taken within two accrediting periods after application is made (approximately one year). 3. Accreditation and Evaluation Workshop All applicants are required to send at least one representative to the CAOHS Accreditation and Evaluation Workshop after submitting the Application form on the date organized by the Council. The Accreditation Workshop provides an overview of the CAOHS accreditation process as well as evaluation visit preparation and procedures. This workshop is required for all institutions applying for a new grant of accreditation. 4. Examination Team After the institution has completed the workshop organized by CAOHS staff, arrangements are made for an examination team to make an on-site visit. Examination team members are chosen with particular regard for the unique characteristics of the institution and programs to be evaluated. Examination teams vary in size and constituency depending upon the focus and complexity of the applicant's programs. The team members are assigned various individual responsibilities depending upon their areas of expertise with one team member serving as chairperson. Each major content area will be examined by a competent specialist with an educational and experiential background in the subject field. The composition of a team will typically include a Commission Representative, a Management/Administration Specialist, and a Continuing Education/Curriculum Content Specialist(s) as needed. 5. Evaluation Site Visit When an institution has submitted a satisfactory wrokshop results and other required documentation, the office of the Executive Director will instruct the Examination team to visit and evaluate the institution. The institution is notified of the composition of the visiting team and may request that team members be replaced for cause. 6. Team Report The Examination Team prepares a report of the visit and submits it to the CAOHS office for processing. A copy of this report is sent to the applicant institution, providing an opportunity to respond and to submit additional documentation, pertinent to factors existent at the time of the visit, for consideration by the Accrediting Council. 7. Intermediate Review Committee All materials pertinent to an institution’s accreditation are reviewed by experienced persons before being reviewed by the appropriate commission of CAOHS. This group will make a recommendation to CAOHS if the evaluation file is complete. If the file is not complete, the reviewers will organize facts for CAOHS but will not make a specific recommendation. 8. Council Decision Action by CAOHS to accredit or renew accreditation or not to do so, or to limit or otherwise condition the grant of accreditation, is determined only following review of pertinent information and data on the institution. At each level of review, the number and seriousness of any deficiencies are taken into account, as well as the institution’s indicated willingness and capability to overcome them. If the Council believes that an institution is not in compliance with the Accreditation Criteria, it will take prompt adverse action against the institution, or it will require the institution to take appropriate action to bring itself into compliance with the Accreditation Criteria within a time frame specified by the Council after the institution has been notified that it is not in compliance
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