Institutional Report
Overview
THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN ATHLETIC TRAINING
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognizes the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) as an accrediting agency. The Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Athletic Training (JRC-AT) serves as the accreditation review committee for athletic training educational programs.
Programs:
Entry-level athletic training educational programs sponsored by senior colleges and universities are eligible for accreditation if the sponsoring institution meets the standards stated in the Standards and Guidelines for an Accredited Educational Program for the Athletic Trainer.
Accreditation Application Process:
With accreditation being a voluntary process, any evaluation of an athletic training educational program will be conducted only after the specific authorization of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the sponsoring institution.
Application for program accreditation is made to the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Athletic Training (JRC-AT).
Site Visitation:
The purpose of the site visit is to validate the Self-Study Report and evaluate the program's compliance with the Standards and Guidelines. The program should provide a conference room or office for the site visit team to use throughout the entire visit.
The on-site evaluation includes a review of both the didactic and clinical aspects of the program including visits to both on-campus and off-campus clinical experience sites to evaluate the correlation between the didactic and clinical aspects of the program. All affiliated clinical sites should be within a geographical area that allows visitation within the allotted period of time the site visit team is on campus. The number of off-campus clinical sites and specific sites to be visited is determined by the JRC-AT site visitors. Site visitations usually are two to two and one-half days in length.
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Self-Study Report Guide Introduction
The Concept of Self-Study
Self-study by an educational program is the focus of the voluntary peer review system of accreditation. The process critically examines the program in structure and substance, judges the program's overall effectiveness relative to its mission, identifies specific strengths and deficiencies, and indicates a plan for necessary modifications and improvements. The Self-Study Report is an evidential document that summarizes the methods and findings of the self-study process. The report must include a statement of how and for what purpose the study was conducted and provide clear evidence that an identifiable process actually took place. The report must contain a synopsis of relevant data, conclusions and plans generated by the study. Sections I and II of the Standards and Guidelines for an Accredited Educational Program for the Athletic Trainer describe the need for educational programs to continually evaluate the effectiveness of the educational offerings. Self-study is performed, as a cooperative effort, by individuals with varied interests in educational program improvement,(i.e., institutional administration, program and faculty, alumni, students, clinical staff and the employers or supervisors of program graduates.). The Self-Study Report is one component of a program's ongoing self-evaluation.
Characteristics of An Acceptable Self-Study Report
1. The Self-Study Report incorporates sufficient data about graduates and educational outcomes to validate the goals and objectives of the program.
2. The Self-Study Report incorporates sufficient quantitative and qualitative information in its narrative and appendices to document the conclusions of the self-study such as compliance with the Standards and Guidelines, validation of goals and objectives, identification of strengths and weaknesses, and a schedule for improvements, completed or in progress.
Producing and Submitting the Self-Study Report
The Self-Study Report consists of two sections: one to be sent in advance of the visit and the second, a set of additional materials, to be available on-site. The list of on-site materials is provided elsewhere in these instructions. Contents for the material to be mailed in advance are summarized in General Requirements.