Accreditation Resources
(updated 4.2013)
Summer 2013 ARC-PA Accreditation and You Workshop
Summer Accreditation Workshop (1.15.2013) The ARC-PA will hold its annual summer accreditation workshop designed for program faculty, staff and those to whom program directors report July 21-23, 2013. Programs are limited to two attendees per program. Priority will be given to individuals from those programs scheduled for site visits between January 2014 and December 2016 and to individuals who did not attend the summer workshop in 2012. This workshop is not open to individuals from unaccredited developing programs. Click here for workshop page.
Responding to ARC-PA Observations or Citations
The Accreditation Manual (available in the Standards section of the web site), in addition to presenting information on interpreting and complying with the Standards, contains important information about ARC-PA policies and procedures. This document is excerpted directly from the manual. Programs are to follow directions in correspondence from the ARC-PA about how to submit reports and materials to the ARC-PA. Programs should not upload documents to the Program Management Portal unless instructed to do so.
Entering the ARC-PA Provisional Accreditation Pathway 2013
Provisional Accreditation Conference : (1.15.2013) The ARC-PA will be hosting a conference November 21-22, 2013 specifically for select individuals from institutions in the process of developing a new PA program in preparation for applying to the ARC-PA for provisional accreditation from 2017 and beyond.. More information and registration materials can be found here..
Important Notes to Programs / Portal Pointers
(April 2012, August 2012, October 2012, November 2012, April 2013)
The ARC-PA has implemented changes to the the processes by which it reviews programs. The application materials, types of ongoing data reporting, types of site visits and composition of site visit teams, and frequency of visits are all being revised. There will be a several year transition role out process for the changes. Some of the information about this change is already on this web site. A letter was sent to all accredited programs with more information of a general nature.
Each accredited program should have already received an individual correspondence with details about how the process will be implemented.
The Spring 2013 Notes to Programs document includes information from the March 2013 commission meeting. Programs should read this as well as past Notes documents available here.
Portal Pointers are sent to programs and posted here shortly after each commission meeting and periodically during the year.The special edition of Portal Pointers was focused solely on the submission of the Program Required Annual Report of the ARC-PA and remains here for provisional programs that have annual reports due. Other editions of Portal Pointers are posted below.
ARC-PA Bylaws and Policies
(May 2012)
The ARC-PA Bylaws and Policy Manual are available here as informational resources for physician assistant program faculty, staff and the general public. The Accreditation Manual is being updated and will include references to these policies where appropriate.
Analysis and the SSR
(September 2011)
A NEW 2011 Data Analysis Resource document addressing the components of data analysis as they relate to the Standards, 4th edition and, Self-Study Report, is available here!
The power point show on Data Analysis from the June 2011 Accreditation Workshop in St. Louis is available here.
The Standards Degree Deadline Issue
(October 2011)
The ARC-PA has developed a document to provide clarification about the masters degree requirement as described in the Standards, 4th edition. This document addresses expectations for all programs that do not yet confer a graduate degree.
Syllabi, Competencies, Objectives
Syllabi, Instructional Objectives and Learning Outcomes, for entry-level PA programs, Standards 4th edition.
Syllabi, Competencies, Objectives , for clinical postgraduate PA programs.