1. SITE REVIEWER TRAINING
February 3, 2017

2. Philosophy of the COSMA Accreditation Model
Outcomes based/Mission driven
Accreditation principles based on best practices in SM education
Developmental – annual reporting focused on continuous improvement
Flexible – accommodates various institutional models and innovative approaches
Outcomes based: The philosophy behind the COSMA accreditation model, as many of you know, is a focus on outcomes, not inputs, and is based on principles, not standards. Standards can be relatively arbitrary or provide an arbitrary cut-off point, while principles measures outcomes and learning processes.
Best practices based: Another way to put this is that COSMA accreditation is mission-driven – your specific institutional and program-level mission will impact the interpretation of the COSMA principles. The principles themselves are based on best practices in sport management education.
Developmental: The process is a developmental one – each year, members who have achieved candidacy status or who are accredited are required to submit an annual report. I have seen huge changes in programs from the beginning of this process to when they are being reviewed by the Board of Commissioners to beyond becoming accredited. The process catalyzes changes for the better for these programs – and I have seen so much positive development in what these programs are doing and how they are doing it. Your role as site reviewers is critical to this development.
Flexible: Last, without arbitrary standards, the COSMA principles allow a variety of programs to go through the process: small, large, new, established, housed in any college, traditionally run or all online or a hybrid, etc.

3. Benefits of Accreditation
Dedicated staff
Free training, assistance
Best practices - templates, rubrics
External accountability
Enhanced reputation
External assurance of quality
Effective mechanism for continuous improvement
Mechanism for program advocacy
The benefits of accreditation are many and it is important that as site reviewers, you believe that COSMA accreditation is worthwhile.
Programs have access to me – a dedicated staff person. Free training and accreditation assistance is available when needed.
We identify best practices and provide some templates to guide programs through the process such as sample rubrics.
Critically, COSMA accreditation provides programs with a mechanism for external accountability – and site reviewers play a critical role here as the “impartial peer”.
Accredited programs enjoy an enhanced reputation and I am asked frequently by parents and prospective students about which programs are accredited and what it means.
External assurance of quality – as site reviewers, you play a critical role helping push programs to be their best.
As I mentioned before, the annual report process and the accreditation process itself acts as an effective mechanism for continuous improvement.
And, very importantly, this process can be a mechanism for program advocacy. As site reviewers, you may make suggestions related to curriculum changes, staffing changes, you may point out the need for different types of resources. Often, these recommendations are taken seriously and can change the trajectory of a program.

4. Scope of Accreditation
Definition of “SM Program”
Traditional/typical areas of SM education
Undergraduate: 20% or more of total credit hours are SM content (e.g., 120 total hours = 24 credits)
Graduate: 50% or more of total credit hours are SM content (e.g., 36 total hours = 18 credits)
Include all tracks within SM degree and tracks outside SM degree (e.g., SM concentration in Physical Education degree)
The following typical disciplinary areas in sport management are considered to be the “traditional areas of sport management education:” sport management, sport administration, sport marketing, sport business, athletic administration, event management, sport finance, sport leadership, and sport law.
Programs are considered to be “sport management programs” if their content is such that 20 percent or more of the total credit hours required for an undergraduate degree, or 50 percent or more of the total credit hours required for a graduate degree are in the traditional areas of sport management education.
“Programs” include all tracks, minors, and concentrations and include all tracks within a SM degree and SM tracks outside of the SM degree.
As site reviewers, you will know in advance how many programs you are reviewing while on-site. However, part of your role is to make sure that all sport management tracks, minors, concentrations, off-campus locations, and online programs are being covered in this process. And, you will be learning about plans to develop new programs, which we need to know in order to properly incorporate them into the accreditation renewal process.

5. Scope of Accreditation, con’t
Includes both undergrad and graduate programs
Academic unit should be an identifiable entity and led by a doctorally- or professionally-qualified educator
Includes off-campus locations, through cooperative or interdisciplinary arrangements
All modes of delivery should be included (online, distance learning, adult degree, accelerated)
Notify COSMA when a new program is added
Program must provide rationale for what is included and what is not included in accreditation process
To exclude a program, provide a rationale why it should not be included – BOC makes final decision
What programs are included in COSMA accreditation?
Both undergraduate and graduate programs
The program must be an identifiable unit led by a doctorally or professionally qualified educator
Must includes all off-campus locations and those that exist through interdisciplinary arrangements
All modes of delivery must be included
Newly developing programs
Prior to the site visit, a program will have the opportunity to provide a rationale for excluding particular tracks or minors, but it is your job to verify this onsite.
If a program “appears” to be accredited by COSMA – meaning that it is listed on the same web page with the other programs or it overlaps significantly in coursework – it either must be included in the process or a rationale must be provided as to why it is not included.

6. Steps to Accreditation
Membership application & fee
Attain Candidacy Status (CS)
Collect data and begin writing Self Study
Establish timeline for site visit
Complete Self Study (at least 90 days prior to site visit)
Site visit (2 days)
Decision by Board of Commissioners (September/February of each year)
The accreditation process is comprised of these steps:
First the program applies for Membership and second is attaining Candidacy Status. Next is writing the self study, which is the document that you are validating while on site.
Fourth is establishing the timeline for the site visit. We like to give site reviewers at least two months or 60 days to review the self study and coordinate the site visit. Fifth is the site visit which is usually led by two site reviewers and lasts two days.
And last, an accreditation decision is made by the Board of Commissioners twice a year. 6

7. Becoming a Site Reviewer
COSMA individual/program membership
Program members prioritized
Attend a training workshop
Be familiar with COSMA principles, policies & procedures
Time commitment: 2 days, preparation and follow-up
First, you need to be a member of COSMA – either through your institution or as an individual ($30/year).
You must attend a training session such as this one and I also highly encourage attending the training sessions on going through the accreditation process so that you are most familiar with all the elements of a self study.
You must be familiar with COSMA principles, policies, and procedures.
You must be willing to invest a certain amount of time into the process. It starts with training, reading the self study, coordinating with your site visit team partner and the host institution, going on site for two days, and writing the final report. 7

8. Site Visit Assignments
Schedule visits 3-4 months in advance
COSMA staff, BOC assigns two person team as early as possible
BOC assigned observer
Conditions
Avoid conflicts of interest, bias
Balance and representation
Costs
Assignments are made based on the institution – its size, location, types of programs, and any other specific characteristics. We consider the balance of representation of types of programs and institutions between the two reviewers and as they are similar and not similar to the program being reviewed; we try to find reviewers within a reasonable distance to the program without coming from a competitor program; and in general, we avoid conflicts of interest such as previous academic or personal relationships or business partnerships. I check with everyone before finalizing the site visit team to make sure that there are no conflicts of interest. In the case that there is, I find a replacement team member. A member of the Board of Commissioners will be on your site visit to act as an observer and to answer any procedural questions you or the program has. They are also there to make sure that the principles are being applied consistently across programs – so they may discuss some interpretations with you behind the scenes.

9. Honoraria and Travel Reimbursement
Program responsible for paying all costs:
Honoraria - $300/day for team chair; $200/day for team member
Travel
Hotel
Meals
Miscellaneous costs (e.g. travel to and from home airport)
On a two-day site visit, the Chair of the Site Visit team receives $300 per day and the Site Visit Team Member receives $200 per day. All of your expenses, including the honoraria, are paid for by the institution. From what I know of other specialized accrediting bodies, receiving an honorarium is rare.

10. Site Team Responsibilities
Prior to visit: 1) Review self study at least twice 2) Discuss preliminary impressions by phone 3) Request additional materials, as needed 4) Modify site visit agenda, as needed
On-site: 1) Meet night before 2) Stick to agenda and remain on time 3) Validate self-study materials 4) Write detailed report
Post-visit: 1) Write summary report
Prior to visit: 1) Review self study at least twice 2) Discuss preliminary impressions by phone 3) Request additional materials, as needed 4) Modify site visit agenda, as needed.
On-site: 1) Meet night before 2) Stick to agenda and remain on time 3) Validate self-study materials 4) Write detailed report
Post-visit: 1) Write summary report 10

11. Team Chair Role & Responsibilities
Designated by COSMA staff, BOC
Served on at least one other site team
Past member of COSMA BOC, BOD
Coordinates visit details with the program
Reviews and modifies site visit agenda
Responsible for completing a thorough and objective site visit
Submits the completed site team report
The Team Chair is generally designated by COSMA staff and the BOC and is someone who has served on at least one other site team or, is a past member of the COSMA BOC or BOD. The Team chair coordinates the site visit details with the Campus Coordinator and reviews and modifies site visit agenda. The Team Chair is responsible for completing a thorough and objective site visit and submitting the completed site team report. 11

12. Campus Coordinator Role
Person responsible for accreditation process (not necessarily the department chair)
Helps team make travel plans, including transport to and from their hotel to your campus
Develops site visit schedule
Makes sure site visit stays on schedule
Organizes on campus meeting room for team
The campus coordinator is the person, in general, who is in charge of writing and putting together the self study document and arranging all logistics for the site visit. These include planning the travel, hotel, and transportation to and from the hotel to the campus; drafting the site visit schedule and modifying it as necessary, making sure the site visit remains on schedule, and organizing the meeting room for the site visit team. 12

13. Site Visit Preparation/ Reviewing the Self Study
Review all self-study materials and note questions, concerns (use checklist)
Look a program’s website
Communicate with the other team member about initial findings, concerns
Make necessary travel arrangements
Phone discussion with COSMA Executive Director
Develop questions to ask on site
You have been asked to be a site reviewer – what now? First, you will review the self study by reading through it, taking notes, using sticky notes, using the checklist in the back of the site visit preparation manual – whatever you need to do to begin to digest the self study. You will also be making the necessary travel arrangements either directly with the campus coordinator, if you are the team chair, or with the team chair. You will be talking with the other site team member about your initial findings and impressions of the self study. And, you will have a phone call with me to discuss what you are seeing and ask me any questions you have. 13

14. Pre-Visit Meeting Arrive the evening before the visit
Site Team Meeting
Re-familiarize yourself with self-study materials
Discuss the schedule for the visit – who leads which interviews
Plan opening session and exit interview with Department Chair, On-site Coordinator, etc.
Discuss report writing process
Determine if any additional materials are needed
You must schedule your arrival in the host city so that you have some time to meet in person with the other site visit team member. The Team Chair will coordinate a meeting where you talk about the site visit schedule, review any sections of the self study that you want to discuss, and determine who will take the lead in various interviews with faculty, students, and administrators on campus. Plan your opening meetings and even begin to discuss what you will say in your exit interview (more on this later). Discuss who will write which parts of the report, or how you will divide the self study validating and writing, and if you haven’t already, decide if there are any additional materials you want to review. 14

15. Sample Site Visit Schedule: Day 1
Meet with Campus Coordinator to discuss two day visit
9:00 am
Meet with President and/or Chief Academic Officer
9:30 am
Meet with Outcomes Assessment Coordinator to review institutional outcomes assessment plan
10:30 am
Review Sport Management O/A plan with Campus Coordinator
Noon
Lunch with faculty (no administrators present)
1:30 pm
Work time for site team and Campus Coordinator to validate self- study and ask questions (3 - 4 hours)
6pm
Dinner
While this is a sample schedule, it does cover all of the individuals, at the least, that you should meet with while on-site. When you start in the morning and end in the evening is flexible, but you must allow for at least 3-4 hours for self study validation. It also makes sense to meet with the Campus Coordinator who is likely the person who wrote and coordinated putting together the self study. You can use meals as work time and you may also work after dinner. 15

16. Sample Site Visit Schedule: Day 2
Meet with students majoring in all sport management programs
9:00 am
Tour facilities (library, classrooms, computer labs, etc.)
10:30 am
Site team completes report
Noon
Lunch with community representatives (e.g., Advisory Board, alumni, internship employers, etc.)
1:30 pm
Exit interview with Campus Coordinator (and others, as desired)
3:00 pm
Site team departs from campus (depending on flight schedules)
On the second day, you are wrapping up the writing of your report and are preparing for the exit interview. Be sure to meet with a cross-section of students and see all related facilities. 16

17. Eight Principles of Accreditation
Outcomes Assessment
Strategic Planning
Curriculum
Faculty
Scholarly & Professional Activities
Resources
Internal & External Relationships
Educational Innovation
These are the eight COSMA principles that you will be validating on your site visit. We are going to review each one in a general way since this training is usually preceded by a lengthier training on writing the self study.

18. Principle 1: Outcomes Assessment
Assess Key Content Areas:
Program assessment
Clear and measurable student learning outcomes
Direct and indirect measures of student learning
Basic Skills - undergraduate and graduate
Personal development of students
Operational effectiveness goals
Integration into future budgeting and planning
Review reported results
Note changes and improvements – Action Plan
How do they close the loop?
This is the cornerstone of the self study and a difficult principle to digest and evaluate. There are numerous parts to this Principle that comprise the outcomes assessment and you are to review each piece: the program assessment, student learning outcomes, all measures of student learning, basic skills and personal development descriptions, measurements of operational effectiveness, and how this is all integrated into strategic planning and budgeting. You will also critique the instruments and rubrics used to assess the student learning outcomes – both for the direct and indirect measures. You will review the reported results and analyze the actions the program plans to take as a result. 18

19. Principle 2: Strategic Planning
Review provided strategic planning document
Review program’s description of strategic planning process:
action items
monitoring/evaluating progress
incorporation into budgeting
involvement of stakeholders
3. Effectiveness of strategic planning process
This takes us to Strategic Planning – the second principle. As a site reviewer, you will review the program’s strategic plan. Ideally, the strategic plan will include the O/A plan, and if not, make sure that they are integrated and consistent with each other.

20. Principle 3: Curriculum
3.1 Program Design
3.2 Common Professional Component
3.3 General Education
3.4 Breadth and Depth of Curriculum
3.5 Curriculum Review and Improvement
3.6 Master’s Degree Curriculum
3.7 Doctoral Curriculum
In this principle, you are reviewing and validating that the general education curriculum and sport management core curriculum are appropriate. You are also evaluating coverage of the common professional component (CPC) areas.

21. 3.2: Common Professional Component (CPC)
A) Foundations of Sport: Historical, Sociological, Psychological
B) Foundations of Management
1. Management Concepts
2. Governance and Policy
3. International Sport
C) Functions of Sport Management
1. Sport Operations
2. Sport Marketing
3. Sport Communications
4. Sport Finance and Economics
D) Sport Management Environment
1. Legal aspects of SM
2. Ethical aspects of SM
3. Diversity issues in SM
4. Technological advances in SM
E) Integrative Experiences & Career Planning:
1. Internship/Practical/Experiential Learning
2. Capstone Experience
These are the content areas of the CPC and you are going to examine a table that the program puts together that totals the number of contact hours students have in each CPC area. The totals come from an analysis that the programs do of each of their syllabi – they count the number of contact hours spent on various topic areas by creating “abbreviated” course syllabi. 21

22. Principle 4: Faculty 4.1 Faculty Qualifications 4.2 Faculty Load
4.3 Program Coverage
4.4 Faculty Evaluation
4.5 Faculty Development
4.6 Faculty Policies
For Principle 4: Faculty – you are looking at how the faculty meet the principles as they relate to these six elements. I am going to review faculty qualifications and faculty load in detail. Program coverage refers to how doctorally- and professionally-qualified faculty cover the CPC areas. Faculty evaluation, development, and policies are fairly straightforward and I review them in depth in the accreditation process training. 22

23. Principle 5: Scholarly and Professional Activities
Evaluate Scholarship of:
Teaching
Discovery
Integration
Application
Professional activities include: consulting, seminars, workshops, professional organizations
Faculty should be involved in activities that enhance the depth and scope of their knowledge. The amount and type of involvement should be appropriate for the mission of the department and level of programs offered – this is up to you to determine and interpret.
There are four types of scholarly activity:
Teaching – knowledge of one's field and how that information is conveyed effectively. E.g. Curriculum review and revision
Discovery - “basic research” - investigation and research that contributes to the field and is disseminated. E.g., presenting a paper at a professional meeting
Integration – Bring new insights on original research and fitting one's work into larger intellectual patterns. E.g, textbook authoring
Application – responsible application of knowledge to consequential problems. E.g, consulting
Professional activities: providing professionally-related services to individuals or organizations in the public or private sector.
E.g., Routine professional consulting; attendance and participation in seminars, symposia, workshops; membership in a professional organization.

24. Principle 6: Resources 6.1 Financial Resources 6.2 Facilities
6.3 Learning Resources
6.4 Educational Technology and Support
6.5 Locations
This Principle is comprised of five sections. The philosophy behind this principle is that excellence in sport management education requires that appropriate resources be provided to the sport management programs, especially in relationship to the support provided to other academic units. The allocation of resources should be related to the specific mission and broad-based goals of the program – this is the basis on which you will be evaluating and interpreting this principle. Adequate financial support for human resources, libraries, facilities, and equipment is essential to ensuring excellence in sport management programs. You are looking at budgets and salaries, classrooms and computer resources, offices, libraries, technology support, and off-campus locations (if that applies). 24

25. Principle 7: Internal and External Relationships
7.1 Internal Relationships
7.2 Admissions Processes
7.3 Business and Industry Linkages/Internship
7.4 External Cooperative Relationships and Oversight
7.5 International Sport Management
7.6 Diversity in Sport Management
7.7 External Accountability
Excellence in sport management education requires effective working relationships with other individuals and departments both within the institution and without, including effective linkages with the “real world” of sport management. It also requires accountability to the public concerning student learning outcomes. Principle seven is composed of eight parts
1) Effective working relationships with individuals and other departments within the institution. The program’s mission and broad-based goals must be consistent with the institution’s.
2) Admissions processes – to all programs
3) Regional accreditation
4) Business and Industry linkages: In professional programs, linkages with the sport management industry are essential. Both students and faculty gain through these interactions and practitioners can serve as role models and career counselors for students. They can help the faculty identify topics that may be worthy of scholarly pursuit and can provide input to administrators and faculty regarding changes in the curricula. They can also help bring speakers to campus, and place representatives of the institution before significant public forums.
5) Transfer students – other institutions with which they have cooperative relationships
6) COSMA expects its accredited members to be leaders in the internationalization of the sport management curriculum. This may include international experiences provided through the institution, other universities, or educational consortia; articulation agreements with institutions in other countries; or the promotion of student/faculty exchanges abroad.
7) COSMA expects its accredited members to be leaders in educating students to effectively function in a diverse sport environment. This may include experiences provided by the institution, other universities, or educational consortia; articulation agreements with institutions that have differing populations, or the promotion of student and faculty diversity training.
8) An accredited program is required to post on its main program webpage a template of student achievement information. This includes the SLO matrix, the OEG matrix and a program information. Programs must comply with this principle upon submission of their first Annual Report after being granted accreditation, or risk going on administrative probation. 25

26. Principle 8: Educational Innovation
Evaluate the institution's support for innovation
Evaluate the process in the program for encouraging educational innovation
Review recent examples, including improvements
Individual sport management faculty members should be encouraged, supported, and rewarded for their creativity and for developing educational innovations related to course content and instruction. The development of new and different teaching strategies is essential to a thriving future in sport management education.
In the self study you will evaluate:
1) The institution’s posture regarding educational innovation and the institution’s support for innovation in the sport management program.
2) The processes used to encourage educational innovation.
3) Review the examples of educational innovation, including improvements in the sport management programs. Sometimes, as an outside evaluator, you are able to see innovations that the program does not classify that way. In this way, you can help the program see what it does that may be unique to it or what they offer that is innovative.
This concludes our review of the COSMA principles and your role in validating the self study. But, what materials do you need on site that will help you with this validation?

27. On-site Materials Course syllabi Institutional catalog
Copy of last regional accreditation self-study report and findings
Faculty member vitae
Faculty handbook
O/A Plan
Summary of realized outcomes
Internship manual (if applicable)
All of the materials listed here are expected to be available, and I encourage you to ask for additional materials in advance of the site visit to give the program time to get them ready. But, if something comes up, you can ask for anything else while you are there – this might include samples of student work or any updated lists, meeting notes, curricula, etc. 27

28. Exit Interview
Who? Up to the department to determine – usually the campus coordinator, chair, and faculty
Review program strengths
Review areas that partially meet the principles
Review areas that do not meet the principles
Answer questions, but do not comment on accreditation status
Make suggestions for how the program can remedy deficient areas
Encourage the campus coordinator to talk to COSMA
You are preparing for the exit interview before you even arrive on campus. It is the meeting you have toward the end of the site visit where you tell the Campus Coordinator and whoever he or she invites to sit in what you found through the validation process of the self study. You are outlining areas of partial compliance with the principles and also indicating the program’s strengths. This is also your chance to provide some guidance in how the program might remedy any areas of partial compliance. While you can provide these examples, you should not indicate whether the program will be accredited or not. If you have any questions during the interview, call me. Your exit interview should address all the majors issues so that when I send a summary letter to the program based on your report, they are not surprised at its contents. 28

29. Site Visit Report: Putting Your Findings in Writing
History of institution, program, degrees, special considerations, thank yous.
Use checklist to help you write and the report template
Summary statement: what is your overall impression of the program in this area/principle?
Strengths/Commendations: What does the program do well?
Areas of Need/Partial compliance: In what ways does the program not meet the principle?
Link principles together, as they are related
When writing the final site visit report, include a short history of the institution, program, type of degrees being sought for accreditation, any special considerations the BOC should note about the program, and offer thanks or praise to any faculty or staff that you interacted with while on site.
When filling out the remainder of the report for each Principle, make sure to a) make a summary statement about that principle as it relates to the program b) offer a bulleted list of strengths, and c) offer a bulleted list of areas of partial compliance/weaknesses d) Use your notes and the checklist to write the report.
Please do not enumerate on items that were in existence or in compliance in the final report. The final report is a summary and analysis of your findings, not a story about the experience on site.
Make sure that as you outline issues for each principle that you link them to any other related principles – for example, if the outcomes assessment direct measures need work, tie that into the strategic plan and the curriculum, as relevant. 29

30. Do’s and Don’t’s Do Don’t Validate the self study Express opinions
Provide examples to illustrate your point
“Champion” an issue
Call Heather when in doubt
“Guess” at answers
Use tact and diplomacy in exit interview
Indicate whether the program will be accredited or not
Ask the BOC observer
Site Reviewers are not to express their opinions while on site – you are there to validate the self study.
If pointing out an area of partial compliance or deficiency, site reviewers can make suggestions or provide examples that help illustrate your point. For example, if faculty training is less than it could be, offer suggestions, based on possible experiences or linkages, that the faculty could do to add to their training.
Site Reviewers – if there is an issue that you like to “champion,” please do not do that on-site. Speak only to that issue as is appropriate vis-à-vis the Principles and COSMA accreditation process.
If you have any questions during the site visit as to how to interpret the principles, please call me while on site to determine the answer.
Use the exit interview as the time to include all issues that you found in your validation process and, where possible, indicate how the program might remedy the situation – important to select someone to take the lead on this and diplomatically indicate what the issues are and that the team is not the accreditation decision maker. 30

31. Your Role After the Site Visit
Team chair submits final report within TWO WEEKS
Submit expenses not directly covered by program to COSMA
Keep all notes and materials until BOC meets and makes an accreditation decision – may be questions
Maintain confidentiality: Do not share your findings, materials, or opinions about the program or the site visit process with anyone
Submit evaluation of the site visit process and of your team member
After the site visit, you have one task left: to finalize your written report and send it to me within two weeks. I also send you an evaluation of both your partner and of the process in general – I am always looking to improve it and it is feedback from site reviewers that has helped shape this presentation. You will submit any expenses you incurred that were not directly billable to the institution to me and then you will receive a reimbursement check and your honorarium. Please keep any notes you took, the checklist you filled out, etc. until after the Board has their next in-person meeting, in case we have any questions. You must not share your findings, materials, or any opinions you have about the program – please maintain confidentiality for this process. 31

32. Evaluation of the Site Team’s Visit
Fill out and submit evaluation of your experience
Site team members evaluate each other
All comments kept confidential
Questions include:
Professional behavior of the team
Anything overlooked by the team
Strengths and/or limitations of any team member
Just as you site evaluators review each other, an institution that has just undergone a site visit by COSMA has the opportunity to assess the work of the members of the site visit team. In addition, members of the team are encouraged to review each other’s work during the visit.
We want to use top-level evaluators in the accreditation process, so it is important to review the site visit performance. I have created surveys for the institution and each site reviewer to complete that cover a number of aspects of the site review process. Some of the areas that are addressed are:
The professional behavior of the team members.
Aspects of the institution’s academic Sport Management department/unit that might have been overlooked by the team.
Strengths and/or limitations of individual members of the team.
The comments are held in strict confidence and the performance reviews should be sent to me.

33. What COSMA Does After the
Site Visit
Program receives the site visit report with “action items” and items that are recommended to respond to
All materials sent to one member of Board of Commissioners – self-study, site visit team report, any additional information
Commissioner reviews materials and prepares detailed report to present at next Board meeting

34. Accreditation Decisions
Accredited with Notes
Accredited with Observations
Accreditation Deferred
Accreditation Denied
The accreditation decisions that the BOC can make are as follows:
Accredited with Notes – this means that there are areas of partial compliance that must be addressed and remediated within three years of being accredited
Accredited with Observations – these are areas that are not required to be addressed but are recommended
Accreditation Deferred – this is in effect a ruling of “no action” when there are a significant number of areas of noncompliance. An accreditation decision has been deferred to a later date, within three years, pending remedial action or more information from the program on the areas of partial compliance
Accreditation Denied – the program is in significant noncompliance with a number of principles or has lost its regional accreditation.

35. Site Reviewer Resource Guide
Provides guidance on who you are meeting with and what to talk about
Hospitality and gifts – what you may accept
Diplomacy
Seed questions to get the conversation going
I’ve created a site reviewer resource guide to help you prepare for the site visit. While you are attending this training, being on-site is a wholly different experience! Suddenly, you are being asked questions about COSMA, the process, you own experiences, and at the same time, you are asking them questions about their programs and processes. It is a lot to juggle and this guide is a resource to help you navigate through it all. In the guide, I provide you with a short summary of all of the “events” that will occur, including social meals, and a sense of how to approach discussions with different groups of stakeholders. The guide also provides “seed” questions for each principle, so that you have general guidelines that focus on the key aspects of each one and help you to tie the principles together.
One “fuzzy” area covered in the guide is “hospitality” – what it means and what limits exist within it. In short, you may receive a gift basket, pens, pads, and other items with the school’s logo. It is okay to accept these “gifts” as part of the institution trying to make you feel welcome and part of their community. If they offer you cash in any form – gift cards included – those you may not accept. Tickets to events are something that should also be declined. If you have any questions during a visit about what would be acceptable, please call me.

36. Conclusions In today’s training you learned about:
The COSMA accreditation process
How site visit teams are chosen and how site visits are coordinated
The expectations, responsibilities, and roles of the two members of the site visit team
How to interpret each Principle of accreditation
How to conduct the exit interview
What to write in your final report
The final steps in the accreditation process
The role of the Executive Director and the Board of Commissioners
Today you learned about the COSMA accreditation process, how site visit teams are chosen and coordinated, the expectations, responsibilities, and roles of the site team members, how to interpret each principle of accreditation, how to conduct the exit interview and write your final report, and the final steps of the accreditation process as well as my role and the role of the Board of Commissioners.

37. Questions & Comments