Checklist of Activities in a CCNE Accreditation Review The following is a checklist of activities that occur during an accreditation review by CCNE. For detailed information on CCNE's policies, please click here to review Procedures for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Education Programs. Approximately 18 months before a program is scheduled for an accreditation review, CCNE advises the program that it will be evaluated during the upcoming review cycle. Programs seeking initial accreditation by CCNE must submit a formal request for applicant status before scheduling an on-site evaluation. The program selects tentative dates for the on-site evaluation and advises CCNE of preferred and alternative dates. CCNE staff will confirm dates by letter. The program conducts an analytical self-study. CCNE establishes deadlines for submission of the self-study document and provides guidance for events leading up to the on-site evaluation. CCNE notifies the program that it must make its constituents aware of the opportunity to provide written third-party comments to CCNE offices. CCNE apprises relevant agencies of scheduled on-site evaluations and provides them the opportunity to submit written third-party comments to CCNE offices. CCNE notifies the institution's chief executive officer about the upcoming on-site evaluation. CCNE appoints the evaluation team, notifies the program about the team composition, inquires about conflicts of interest, and provides the program with contact information for the team. CCNE sends each team member background materials and other information needed in preparation for the on-site evaluation. If appropriate, CCNE also provides a summary of any complaints and a copy of any third-party comments. Third-party comments are confidential to the team, and, thus, are not shared with the program. The program makes hotel reservations and ensures that individual hotel confirmations are sent to team members and to CCNE offices. Team members arrange for their own travel plans. About eight weeks prior to the on-site evaluation, the program develops a tentative agenda for the on-site evaluation and consults with the team leader about its acceptability. The team leader may propose changes to the agenda. Six weeks prior to the on-site evaluation, the program sends the self-study document, institution and program catalogs or bulletins, and the visit agenda to each team member. Five complete sets are forwarded to CCNE offices, as well. The CCNE team conducts the evaluation, and the team leader verbally summarizes the major findings to program officials during the exit interview. (The team does not, however, formulate a recommendation about accreditation or leave a copy of the draft report with the program.) CCNE sends thank you letters to the team and to program officials. Team members are invited to complete a Web-based evaluation questionnaire. The team edits and revises its written report, which the team leader submits to CCNE offices within two weeks of the on-site evaluation. CCNE staff reviews the report for formatting purposes and edits the report, as appropriate. CCNE submits the final report to program officials; the dean/director is invited to prepare a written response to the report. The dean/director has at least two weeks to prepare the written response. The team's report is forwarded, with the program's written response, to the team and to the Accreditation Review Committee. The Accreditation Review Committee considers the team's report, along with the written response and any other pertinent documentation, at its next appropriate meeting. The program is provided the opportunity to be represented at the committee meeting at its own expense. At its next meeting, the Board of Commissioners considers the team's report along with the confidential recommendation of the Accreditation Review Committee. The Board makes a decision about accreditation. CCNE notifies institution and program officials of the Board's accreditation decision, transmitting the team's report to the institution within 30 days of the decision. CCNE also notifies the Accreditation Review Committee and the appropriate evaluation team of the action. Within 24 hours of all final Board actions, public notification will be posted on the CCNE Web site. CCNE notifies the US Department of Education, as well as appropriate state agencies and accrediting agencies, of all final actions within 30 days of the Board's decision. CCNE invites program officials to evaluate the CCNE accreditation review process by completing a Web-based questionnaire. March 2001 CCNE Accreditation | AACN Home Copyright © 2005 by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. All rights reserved.