Provisional Accreditation
Provisional Accreditation Application : (1.24.2012) A new signature page and new budget template are to be submitted with provisional applications. These are available on the Applications and Forms page of the section.
Provisional Accreditation Conference : (1.24.2012) The ARC-PA will be hosting a conference November 29-30, 2012 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 between 2014 - 2016. More information and registration materials can be found here.
Entering the Process and Scheduling Site Visits (1.2012)
Developing entry-level programs must contact executive director John McCarty to discuss their interest in beginning a program as well as their proposed timeline for program development and site visit. To request entry into the process, a letter from a senior institutional official (sent as an e-mail attachment is acceptable) should include:
1. A request for entry into the process and for consideration of its application for no sooner than at the March 2016 ARC-PA agenda
2. A statement attesting to the fact that the institution meets the eligibility requirements
3. The name, address, phone number etc. and e-mail address of the institution’s contact to receive all information from the ARC-PA until a Program Director has been hired.
Note that once scheduled for a visit, the program will be required to submit fifty percent (50%) of the currently published application fee. This amount, which is non-refundable, is required to remain on the site visit schedule and Commission meeting agenda. The balance will be payable to the ARC-PA and invoiced prior to the scheduled visit. Programs that cancel their visit within sixty days of their scheduled visit will be responsible for any expenses associated with the visit that have been incurred by the ARC-PA.
The next meeting agenda in which we are now accepting provisional applications is March 2016.
As a rule, the site visit component of the review process in advance of the March commission meeting must occur between August 1 and December 31 of the preceding year. For the September commission meeting the visit must occur between February 1, and June 30 of that year.
Provisional Accreditation is the status of accreditation granted for a limited, defined period (three years) to a new program that, at the time of the comprehensive review that includes the site visit, has demonstrated its preparedness to initiate a program in accordance with the Standards.
Initial Provisional Accreditation visits are conducted during the calendar year prior to enrollment of the charter class of students. Based on the accreditation application and descriptive report, the report of the site visit team, and the evaluation of these by the ARC-PA, the ARC-PA will determine whether or not to award Provisional Accreditation.
Provisional Accreditation does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status.
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, and the ARC-PA retains the right to require an earlier follow-up provisional visit.
Programs that successfully achieve accreditation after their follow-up provisional visit will have a maximum interval before their next comprehensive visit of 5 years.
Failure of a provisionally accredited program to achieve accreditation within the specified time will result in withdrawal of accreditation.