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At the end of a program’s 4 years of initial accreditation the Commission on Accreditation (COA) reviews the program for reaffirmation of accreditation. If the program is found in compliance with all Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), its accreditation will be reaffirmed for 8 years. COA will continue to review the program for reaffirmation of accreditation every 8 years.
There are five steps in reaffirming a program’s accreditation: 1.) the Reaffirmation Eligibility Application; 2.) Site Visit Planning and Hosting; 3.) the Self-Study; 4.) the COA Letter of Instructions to the Site Visitor(s), the Site Visit Report, and the Program’s Response to the Site Visit Report; and 5.) the COA Review for Reaffirmation Determination. These five steps are reflected in the Timetable for Reaffirmation, which provides a detailed list of due dates, accreditation fees, materials, and activities, and the number and kind of copies needed and who should receive them.
There are three versions of the Timetable for Reaffirmation with dates that correspond to the three COA Meetings held each year:
To use the Timetable for Reaffirmation, determine the program’s reaffirmation date; select the corresponding February, June, or October timetable; go to the last row of the timetable; and insert the year in the middle column next to “COA Review for Reaffirmation Determination.” That is when COA will decide whether the program is in compliance with EPAS and if the program’s accreditation should be reaffirmed. From there, work up to the top and fill in the year for each step in the reaffirmation process. Contact your accreditation specialist if you have any questions.
If a program fails to apply for reaffirmation or postponement, or fails to submit a complete self-study by the due date for the submission of reaffirmation materials, COA may initiate withdrawal of accreditation.
The reaffirmation of accreditation process begins by evaluating the institution’s ability to maintain an accredited social work program and meet COA’s Reaffirmation Eligibility Standards. The program’s chief administrator completes the Baccalaureate Reaffirmation Eligibility Application form and/or Master’s Reaffirmation Eligibility Application form to demonstrate compliance with the Reaffirmation Eligibility Standards. This information is reviewed and approved by the program’s accreditation specialist, who will decide to approve the eligibility application or return it to the program for additional information.
Baccalaureate programs address six Reaffirmation Eligibility Standards, and master’s programs address seven. Reaffirmation Eligibility Standards 1 through 5, and the required supporting documentation, are the same for the baccalaureate and master’s programs. The rest of the standards are different and require different documentation as noted in the standards and on the Baccalaureate Reaffirmation Eligibility Application and Master’s Reaffirmation Eligibility Application forms.
The Baccalaureate Reaffirmation Eligibility Application and Master’s Reaffirmation Eligibility Application forms list each eligibility standard, ask a series of simple questions, and/or require the submission of materials to determine compliance.
Information about when the Reaffirmation Eligibility Application is due and where it should be sent is on the Timetable for Reaffirmation.
Eligibility Standard 1
The chief executive officer of the institution authorizes COA’s review of the social work program.
Submit the Authorization of Program Review form completed and signed by the chief executive officer of the institution.
Programs have their president or chancellor complete the Authorization of Program Review form, which documents that the institution has given COA permission to come to the campus and conduct a site visit. No documentation is required for Eligibility Standard 1.
Eligibility Standard 2 The institution’s accreditation has been awarded by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The institution is authorized to award the baccalaureate degree in social work.
Answer questions 4–6 on the Baccalaureate Reaffirmation Eligibility Application.
Eligibility Standard 3 The institution has a written affirmative action policy, plan, or program and procedures and a stated policy against discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, gender, ethnic or national origin, disability, or age. The institution complies with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Answer questions 7–8 on the Baccalaureate Reaffirmation Eligibility Application.
Submit the portions of your institution’s affirmative action plan that articulate its stated policy against discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, gender, ethnic or national origin, disability, or age.
Some private universities do not have affirmative action plans. In that instance programs need to obtain a letter from the provost that states that the university's affirmation action procedure is to delegate affirmative action responsibility to the program. The program would then submit its own affirmative action plan.
Submit the institution’s ADA compliance plan or other proof of the institution’s compliance with the ADA.
This information may be found in different places, depending on the structure of the institution, including the offices of disabilities services and human resources; from the office of the affirmative action compliance officer; and the office of the president, provost, academic vice president, or university counsel.
Eligibility Standard 4 The institution has appointed a social work program chief administrator who has a full-time appointment in the institution, and the person's principal assignment is to the social work program. The program chief administrator has a master’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program with a doctoral degree preferred or a baccalaureate degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program and a doctoral degree, preferably in social work.
Answer questions 9–12 on the Baccalaureate Reaffirmation Eligibility Application. Submit the program chief administrator’s curriculum vitae.
Eligibility Standard 5 The institution identifies and describes the social work program in its catalog or similar publication. Program purposes and requirements are specified. The same document specifies the educational level(s) of the program(s) for which CSWE accreditation has been received or is being sought.
Answer questions 13–21 on the Baccalaureate Reaffirmation Eligibility Application.
Submit the catalog (or similar publication documenting that the program is described in the catalog) to ensure that the program’s purposes and requirements are described, and that the institution specifies the educational level of the program for which CSWE accreditation has been received. If the catalog is on the Web page, a hardcopy of this information should be provided.
Eligibility Standard 6 The institutional transcript for students who complete the accredited social work program confirms that a major in social work was completed and a baccalaureate degree awarded.
Answer questions 22–23 on the Baccalaureate Reaffirmation Eligibility Application.
Attach a sample transcript of a student who has graduated from the program. The transcript must indicate that the major was social work and the name of the degree awarded. Remove identifying information.
Eligibility Standard 1 The chief executive officer of the institution authorizes COA’s review of the social work program.
Programs have their president or chancellor complete the Authorization of Program Review form, which documents that the institution has given COA permission to come to the campus and conduct a site visit.
Eligibility Standard 2 The institution’s accreditation has been awarded by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The institution is authorized to award the master’s degree in social work. Answer questions 4–6 on the Master’s Reaffirmation Eligibility Application.
Eligibility Standard 3 The institution has a written affirmative action policy, plan, or program and procedures, and a stated policy against discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, gender, ethnic or national origin, disability, or age. The institution complies with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Answer questions 7–8 on the Master’s Reaffirmation Eligibility Application. Submit the portions of your institution’s affirmative action plan that articulate its stated policy against discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, gender, ethnic or national origin, disability, or age.
This information may be found in different places, depending on the structure of the institution, including the offices of disabilities services and human resources; the office of the affirmative action compliance officer; and office of the president, provost, academic vice president, or university counsel.
Eligibility Standard 4 The institution has appointed a social work program chief administrator who has a full-time appointment in the institution, and the person's principal assignment is to the social work program. The program chief administrator has a master’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program. In addition, it is preferred that the MSW program director have a doctoral degree, preferably in social work. Answer questions 9–12 on the Master’s Reaffirmation Eligibility Application. Submit the program chief administrator’s curriculum vitae.
Eligibility Standard 5 The institution identifies and describes the social work program in its catalog or similar publication. Program purposes and requirements are specified. The same document specifies the educational level(s) of the program(s) for which CSWE accreditation has been received or is being sought. Answer questions 13–21 on the Master’s Reaffirmation Eligibility Application. Submit the catalog (or similar publication that documents that the program is described in the catalog) to assure that the program’s purposes and requirements are described, and that the institution specifies the educational level of the program for which CSWE accreditation has been received. If the catalog is on the Web page, a hardcopy of this information should be provided.
Eligibility Standard 6 The educational institution provides its organizational chart to document the position of the social work program in the governance structure of the institution and to demonstrate its position relative to other professional education programs offered by the institution. Answer question 22 on the Master’s Reaffirmation Eligibility Application. Submit an organizational chart that documents the position of the social work program in the governance structure of the institution and its position relative to other professional education programs at the institution.
Eligibility Standard 7 The institution must ensure that the master’s program in social work can be completed in 2 calendar years of full-time study. To meet requirements for the master’s degree a program may also provide a maximum of 4 calendar years of structured part-time professional education, comprising all coursework, papers, projects, and the field practicum. Answer question 23–29 on the Master’s Reaffirmation Eligibility Application. The catalog or similar publication submitted for Eligibility Standard 5 must contain, in the description of the program, explicit statements that say (1) that the full-time program can be completed in 2 years, and (2) that the part-time program can be completed in a maximum of 4 years.
From time to time CSWE staff use self-study (or reaffirmation compliance audit) data for the purposes of quality assurance for COA and for research, both about the field in general and for the specific purpose of preparing information for the revision of EPAS. Results are reported in aggregate form only, so programs will not be individually identifiable in any reports. There will be no repercussions on the program’s accreditation status. Requests by non-CSWE staff for use of self-study (or reaffirmation compliance audit) data are subject to institutional review board review and program approval. Such research may significantly improve our understanding of the current state of social work education, and we thank you in advance for your contribution. If you do not want to include your program’s data for use in CSWE research you can opt out at the end of the Bacclaureate Reaffirmation Eligibility Form and/or Master's Reaffirmation Eligibility Form
COA reviews the program’s self-study before the site visit and sends a letter of instructions to the site visitor(s) specifying the accreditation standards that the visitor(s) should address so the visit is more focused and guided by the initial COA review. Site visitors are expected to conduct visits such that programs have the opportunity to provide the visitors with information that clarifies, corrects, or supplements those parts of the self-study that COA has questions about. As representatives accountable to COA, site visitors have full authority to request, examine, and report any information and materials relevant to the letter of instructions from COA.
Every site visitor is expected to discuss general questions related to three accreditation standards (AS) from the 2008 EPAS with programs: AS 1 (Program mission and goals), AS 3.1 (Nondiscrimination and Human Diversity), and AS 4 (Program Assessment and Continuous Improvement). Site visitors explore these standards with relevant constituents by asking broad questions regarding how program mission and goals relate to the level of practice for which they prepare students and any insights the program may have reached about the educational program based on its assessment of student outcomes. In addition, site visitors ask general questions about the challenges and achievements programs have experienced in making specific and continuous efforts to provide a learning context in which respect for all persons and understanding of diversity are practiced.
Beyond these standards, site visitors address standards about which COA raised specific questions. COA expects site visitors to submit comprehensive and thorough reports of their findings on the standards about which specific questions were raised. The report will cite each standard and the questions raised by COA in its letter of instructions and thoroughly discuss findings for each.
Approximately 1 year before the COA review for Reaffirmation Determination, the site visit coordinator sends a letter to the program with instructions to download the February, June, or October Reaffirmation Site Visit Planning Form (depending on when the program is scheduled for COA review) from the CSWE Web site, complete the form, and return it via e-mail by the deadline given.
On the Reaffirmation Site Visit Planning Form the program indicates the number, if any, of off-campus sites and whether the site visitor(s) will visit a single baccalaureate or master’s program or both a baccalaureate and master’s program. This information affects the number of site visitors and length of the site visit.
Single degree programs (baccalaureate or master’s only) require one site visitor for a visit. Two site visitors are required when both a baccalaureate and a master’s degree program are being evaluated. An additional site visitor may be necessary, depending on the complexity of the program(s) and whether there is an off-campus site. Similarly, single degree programs (baccalaureate or master’s only) require 1 day for a site visit. When both a baccalaureate and a master’s degree program are visited, 1.5 or 2 days are needed. An extra day may be necessary, depending on the complexity of the program and whether there is an off-campus site.
The program also specifies three separate sets of dates for the site visit on the Reaffirmation Site Visit Planning Form. Programs on the February COA agenda must provide dates between September 1st and October 31st. Programs on the June COA agenda must provide dates between November 1st and February 28th. Programs on the October COA agenda must provide dates between March 1st and May 31st. The three separate sets of dates must be discussed and cleared by the president and any other significant persons before they are submitted. All three sets of dates should be kept open on the program’s calendars until the site visitor(s) and the date of the visit have been confirmed.
To become a certified site visitor an individual must be a full- or part-time social work faculty member at a CSWE-accredited social work program, have a letter of recommendation from that program’s chief administrator, and maintain CSWE membership. Site visitors are required to have 5 years of teaching experience. Every site visitor participates in training on EPAS before being certified. Site visitors must attend an update session whenever new standards are developed.
The site visit coordinator and the director of the Office of Social Work Accreditation (OSWA) use the information on the Reaffirmation Site Visit Planning form to select several potential site visitors from the roster of certified site visitors. Certified site visitors are not eligible to participate in the site visit if they participated in the program’s last site visit; work or reside in the same state as the program; are current or former faculty members or students; previously applied for a position at the program; are current or former consultants to the program; or have other conflicts of interest brought to CSWE’s attention by the program or potential site visitor.
Potential site visitors are not selected according to their experience at the program level (baccalaureate or master’s); its religious affiliation, size, administrative structure of institution, or program; area of expertise; or other similar criteria that are not germane to the collection of accurate information. Program directors are able to refuse specific site visitors only on the basis of a conflict of interest.
The site visit coordinator sends an e-mail with the names of the potential site visitors to the chief administrator of the program to review for possible conflicts of interest. The program’s chief administrator replies to the e-mail and indicates whether there is any conflict of interest with each potential site visitor and if so, the nature of the conflict.
The site visit coordinator uses that information to select a site visitor or visitors, and when site visitors are confirmed, sends the names, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers to the program.
Advance preparation for site visits is essential and involves close collaboration among OSWA staff, site visitors, and programs.
Travel and Accommodations
Program directors should communicate with the site visitors about arrangements such as travel plans, work space requirements in the hotel and on campus, and the schedule for the site visit. The program’s chief administrator or designee should confirm all arrangements with the site visitor(s) in writing. Programs are to provide prepaid airline tickets to site visitors and should consult with the site visitors about the most convenient airline carrier and flight times. Coach fare is expected. The program should also inform site visitors about transportation from the airport to the campus.
Site visitors should be housed in hotels, not in dormitories or other campus housing. Programs should arrange for hotels to bill the program for site visitors’ expenses minus personal expenses. Hotel accommodations should be arranged so that site visitors have a place to work on the site visit report.
Ground transportation and meals not taken at the hotel are likely to be out-of-pocket expenses for the site visitors. Programs should inform the site visitors how reimbursement for these expenses will be managed.
Communication Guidelines
Program directors are responsible for all communication with the site visitors. Faculty members, students, or others should not communicate with the site visitors before their arrival on campus nor after their arrival until the appointed time in the site visit schedule. Constituent groups desiring to meet with site visitors should request that the program’s chief administrator arrange time on the site visit agenda. It is inappropriate for site visitors to receive anonymous documents, telephone calls, or other similar information. Site visitors are instructed to discuss any such incidents with the program’s chief administrator and to refuse written or verbal information that cannot be shared openly.
The site visit schedule, including visits to off-campus sites, must be arranged in advance of the visit by the site visitors and program directors.
Letter of Instructions to the Site Visitor(s)
After the COA review, a copy of the Letter of Instructions to the Site Visitor(s) is provided to program directors for guidance in working with site visitors to set up the visit and for informational purposes. The site visitors and program directors use the letter to create the site visit schedule, including who the visitors will meet with and the specific times and locations where the meetings will occur.
The program prepares for the visit by considering how it might respond to the questions raised in the letter during the site visit. COA does not expect the program to take formal action on the letter of instructions nor to submit a response to it before the site visit.
Site Visitor(s) Arrival
During the first evening site visitors work alone to prepare for the visit. Program directors may meet with site visitors to extend a brief welcome, explain the itinerary, answer any questions, and outline the arrangements to escort them to the campus. During the site visit, evenings are reserved for site visitors to work on the site visit report and prepare for the exit interview. No social events should be planned for the site visitors.
Meeting with the Institutional Administrators
COA expects the site visit to begin with the institution’s chief executive officer and other institutional administrators. The program director should escort the site visitor(s) to the office of the chief executive officer of the institution and, after introductions, permit the site visitor(s) to meet alone with the chief executive officer. The purpose of this meeting is to explain the accreditation process, learn more about the role and place of the program within the institution’s system, answer any questions the president or chancellor may have, and to collect any information related to EPAS listed in the COA Letter of Instructions to the Site Visitor(s). When it is impossible to meet with the institution’s chief executive officer, it is acceptable to meet with his or her designee.
Meetings with the Social Work Program
The schedule may also include meetings with the program director, faculty members, the director of the field practicum, field instructors, students, the librarian, and other individuals whose presence is relevant (such as faculty concerned with ethnic or gender issues) to the issues raised in the Letter of Instructions to the Site Visitor(s). The purpose of these meetings is to assess the program in relation to the instructions given in the COA Letter of Instructions to the Site Visitor(s).
COA does not require or recommend dismissing classes during the site visit. It is expected that the schedule be planned to permit participation by all constituents without disrupting the academic schedule.
Additional Materials
If the program provides additional information to the site visitor(s) during the site visit, three copies of those materials must be sent to the program’s accreditation specialist. COA uses the site visit report and the program’s response to it to make a decision on the program’s reaffirmation.
Exit Interview
Site visitors hold exit interviews that are open to the people who met with them during the site visit (institutional administrators, program leadership, faculty, students, and other constituencies) to convey the findings that will be in the site visit report. Site visitors then invite the participants to ask questions, comment on the findings, and/or correct any inaccuracies. Site visitors may respond to questions but not make judgments of whether the program is in compliance with EPAS, because that judgment rests with COA.
Site visitors should remind programs that the findings, along with the programs’ response to site visit reports, are reviewed by COA before making a decision about compliance. Site visitors should explicitly inform the institution and program that COA will notify them of its decision about program compliance and concerns, and that it is possible that COA’s analysis will differ from that of the site visitors.
After the visit has concluded, contact between the program and site visitor(s) should end. If the program has additional questions or comments after the visit, the program should contact its accreditation specialist.
Site visitors or a program’s chief administrator may call the OSWA director at any time during a site visit to clarify an accreditation standard or procedure. This includes any concerns about boundary issues pertaining to the site visitors. Should an emergency arise requiring a site visitor to leave the visit early, OSWA staff should be notified immediately.
When accepting an appointment to visit a program, each site visitor is required to subscribe to the Site Visitor Ethical Guidelines to ensure that the site visitor duties are carried out fairly, impartially, and responsibly by avoiding actual or apparent conflicts of interest and other improprieties. Adherence to these guidelines is essential to maintaining and preserving the integrity and effectiveness of the accreditation process.
The term self-study refers to the program’s process of self-examination during the creation of the self-study, as well as to the self-study document itself. The purpose of the self-study document is to demonstrate the program’s compliance with all of the 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. Given the conceptual differences between the 2008 and 2001 EPAS, programs should start writing a new self-study rather than trying to revise the previous self-study. The self-study process should start no less than 2 years prior to the COA Review for Determination of Reaffirmation.
These guidelines are intended to make the process of writing and compiling the self-study easier for programs and make the evaluation of the self-study easier for COA readers. COA encourages a clear and succinct narrative. The self-study should be divided into three volumes as described below.
Volume 1 –EPAS
Volume 1 contains a series of narratives that demonstrates the program’s compliance with 2008 EPAS. Each accreditation standard (AS) should be addressed in a separate narrative headed by the number and full text of each standard for easy identification by the COA reader. The Program Expense Budget form should be included near the narrative for AS 3.5.1 and the Librarian’s Report near AS 3.5.4
Programs should refer to the compliance column of the Compliance, Concern, and Noncompliance Statements (previously discussed in section 1) while writing the self-study. It explains the minimum requirements for completely and clearly meeting an accreditation standard and related educational policy and why COA would cite either as an area of concern or noncompliance.
In institutions with both an accredited baccalaureate and an accredited master’s social work program, a complete self-study must be submitted for each program.
Volume 2 – Syllabi
Volume 2 contains all of the program’s course syllabi. The syllabi need to be uniform. If there is more than one section of a course, the syllabi for each section should contain common components.
Volume 3 – Supporting Documentation
Volume 3 is the appendix and contains the student handbook, the field education manual, and any other supporting documentation.
As described in the Timetable for Reaffirmation, the program mails an electronic version and three paper copies of the self-study to its accreditation specialist. The electronic version of the self-study will be used for research on social work education and accreditation quality assurance. The paper versions are mailed to the COA readers for review.
The electronic version of the self-study should be mailed to CSWE on a CD-ROM or USB drive at the same time the paper copies are mailed. Self-study files should not be e-mailed to CSWE. Because the text from the self-study will be imported into a text analysis program, self-study files should be MS Word documents or a similar word processing format. Supporting documentation that is only available from the university in PDF format is acceptable.
The Accreditation Review Brief form is a tool used by the COA commission reader to report his or her evaluation of the program. Section 2 of the Accreditation Review Brief lists each accreditation standard, related educational policies, and compliance statements from the Compliance, Concern, and Noncompliance Statements.
In the location column of section 2, the program indicates the document name and page number where each compliance statement for an accreditation standard is addressed in the program’s self-study. In section 1 the program completes identifying information. The program fills out one Accreditation Review Brief for each program level that is being reviewed for reaffirmation during the site visit.
Information about when the Accreditation Review Brief is due and where it should be sent is on the Timetable for Reaffirmation.
As described in the purpose and overview of the site visit (2.2.1), COA reviews the program’s self-study before the site visit and sends a letter of instructions to the site visitors specifying the accreditation standards that the visitors should address so the visit is more focused and guided by the initial COA review.
The beginning of the site visit report must include the name and state of the program visited, the program level visited, and the name(s) of the site visitor(s). The report should include either a copy of the site visit schedule or a list of people who met with the site visitor(s) during the visit (e.g., groups and individuals from the program and institution).
The next part of the report is a brief summary of the conversation with the program on general questions related to AS 1 (Program mission and goals), AS 3.1 (Nondiscrimination and Human Diversity), and AS 4 (Program Assessment and Continuous Improvement).
In the last part of the report the site visitors list each accreditation standard and question raised by COA in its letter of instructions with a thorough discussion of findings for each.
Information about when the site visit report is due and where it should be sent is on the Timetable for Reaffirmation.
The program is required to submit a response to the site visit report within 2 weeks of receiving the report. The beginning of the response must include the name and state of the program visited, the program level visited, the name(s) of the site visitor(s), and the date of the response.
Next, the program lists each accreditation standard and question raised by COA in its letter of instructions and states whether it agrees or disagrees with site visit finding, corrects any errors of fact, and clarifies information that may have been incorrectly understood by the site visitor(s). Disagreements with the site visit report should be stated clearly, and additional documentation should be provided if necessary.
Information about when the program response to the site visit report is due and where it should be sent is on the Timetable for Reaffirmation.
COA reviews the site visit report, the program’s response to the site visit report, and any other materials submitted by the program. COA makes one of seven decisions:
After hearing the accreditation specialist’s review of the first progress report, or after reviewing the first progress report itself, COA takes one of six actions, regardless of who reviewed the report:
After hearing the accreditation specialist’s review of the first progress report or after reviewing the first progress report itself COA takes one of four actions, regardless of who reviewed the report:
When the program accepts the COA decision to place it on conditional accredited status or when the outcome of the reconsideration hearing is to uphold the COA decision (see reconsideration policy), the program must submit a restoration report. When the restoration report is received, COA reviews it along with all previously submitted materials. COA takes one of four actions: