Comprehensive visits are conducted at the direction of the Commission, with or without interim progress reports or focused visits. A self-study report is required with each full visit. Site visit teams are assigned to each full visit. A report of the visit is written for consideration and action by the ARC-PA.
Focused visits may be conducted at any time to evaluate a specific problem(s) identified by the previous site visit team or the ARC-PA. Unless specified by the ARC-PA, a periodic self-study report is not required for a focused visit. Focused visits are made by a single visitor or site visit team, which may include commissioners of the ARC-PA or ARC-PA staff. A report of the visit is written for consideration and action by the ARC-PA.
Mandatory re-visits are comprehensive visits conducted within 18 months of a program being placed on probation. Each mandatory re-visit site visit team includes a commissioner of the ARC-PA, who may serve as the site visit team chair. A report of the visit is written for consideration and action by the ARC-PA.
Initial provisional visits are conducted at new, developing programs during the 12 months prior to enrollment of the charter class of students. An ARC-PA commissioner is assigned to each provisional site visit team. Provisional visits evaluate a program's readiness to matriculate students into the first 12 months of the program and a program's readiness for the program curriculum beyond the first 12 months. A report of the visit is written for consideration and action by the ARC-PA.
Follow-up provisional visits are conducted to programs that have successfully achieved provisional accreditation. Follow-up visits must occur no sooner than four months after students have entered the clinical phase of the program and no later than six months after graduation of the first class. The ARC-PA retains the right to require an earlier follow-up provisional visit. A report of the visit is written for consideration and action by the ARC-PA. Failure of a provisionally accredited program to achieve accreditation within the specified time will result in withdrawal of accreditation.