Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards

1. Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards 77th Annual Congress Orlando, Florida Accreditation 101 & Panel Discussion Saturday May 3, 2003 9:00 – 10:00 am.

2. “Accreditation 101” • Introductions • Overview of objectives • Ground rules • What? • Why? • How?

3. What is accreditation? • Accreditation means the status of public recognition that an accrediting agency grants to an educational institution or program that meets the agency’s standards and requirements.

4. What is accreditation? • Accrediting agency… means a legal entity that conducts accrediting activities through voluntary, non federal peer review and makes decisions concerning the accreditation or pre-accreditation status of institutions, programs or both.

5. What is accreditation? • Institutional accrediting agencies… accredit institutions of higher education

6. What is accreditation? • Institution of higher education… means a public or private nonprofit educational institution that… • That is legally authorized to operate where the institution is physically located • Admits as regular students certain “qualified” individuals • Provides an educational program toward a degree…

7. What is accreditation? • Programmatic accreditation agencies… accredit specific educational programs that prepare students for entry into a profession, occupation or vocation.

8. What is accreditation? • Program… means a post secondary education program… that leads to an academic or professional degree, certificate or other recognized academic credential.

9. Why is there an accreditation process? • To provide professional judgment as to the quality of an institution or program. • Formulate and advance educational, scientific and professional principles • Revise these principles when necessary • Formulate policies and procedures for the accreditation process • To evaluate the institution or program

10. Why? • To publish and revise a directory of “accredited” institutions or programs for interested parties and the public • To provide interested parties and the public with assurances that such accredited institutions or programs continue to comply with standards • Conduct periodic reviews and evaluations • To assist the advancement and improvement of the academic standards of the institutions or programs

11. Why? • Provide regulatory boards with a national, uniform basis for decision making regarding licensure • Provide the public • with an assurance of a conformity to certain general expectations that are encompassing and contemporary, and • are designed to assure that the professional services provided to the public are knowledge based and reflective of current standards

12. Why? • Provide students and prospective students with assurances that an institution or program has been found to provide a satisfactory educational preparation for licensure and practice • Provides the profession with a means for participation in setting requirements for preparation to enter the profession

13. Role of the United States Department of Education • The role of the USDOE is to ensure that accrediting agencies are reliable authorities regarding the quality of education or training offered by institutions or programs that they accredit.

14. USDOE • The USDOE assesses applicants for recognition through an encompassing review of applicable standards • Link to federal programs • Geographic scope of accrediting activities • Accrediting experience • Acceptance of agency by others • Purpose and organization • Administrative and fiscal responsibilities

15. USDOE • Accreditation and pre-accreditation standards • Application of standards • Ensuring consistency in decision making • Monitoring and re-evaluating • Enforcement of standards • Review of standards

16. USDOE • USDOE also requires agencies to establish certain operating procedures • Due process

17. USDOE • Recognition by USDOE is attained by • Application • Department review through • Staff • National Advisory Committee • Secretary • Public comment • Site visits…..

18. How do regulatory boards use the accreditation process? • Reliance upon agency • Expertise • Experience • Fiscal issues • Uniformity • USDOE recognition

19. How? • Delegation of authority • Legislation via statute • Regulation via rule making • Board policies

20. How? • Examples of actual regulatory language: • Graduate from a college of chiropracticapproved by the examining board • Graduation from a chiropractic collegehaving status with the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Chiropractic Education • Graduate from a college of chiropractic which is accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education

21. How? • Examples of actual regulatory language: • Graduate from a chiropractic college fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Chiropractic Education or its successorat the time of graduation • Graduate from a chiropractic college accredited by, or recognized as a candidate for accreditation by, anychiropractic college accrediting agencyrecognized by the United States Department of Education

22. Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards Accreditation Panel