On-Site Visits

ACOTE On-site Accreditation Visits

All third-party comments concerning accreditation qualifications for the programs scheduled for on-site may be submitted no later than 20 days prior to the program’s scheduled on-site evaluation addressed to: Director of Accreditation, AOTA, 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, Maryland 20852-4929. The comment letter should be sent by e-mail attachment to accred@aota.org.

 
 A request for ACOTE’s most recent on-site visit report for a specific occupational therapy or occupational therapy assistant program may be addressed to the Director of Accreditation, AOTA, and emailed to accred@aota.org.

Planning for the On-Site Evaluation

Below is information pertinent to program on-site visits as part of the reaccreditation or the initial accreditation process. For more information regarding on-site evaluation policies please review ACOTE IV.A.2. The Onsite Evaluation. For virtual on-sites, please review ACOTE IV.A.2.a The Virtual Onsite Evaluation

Planning for the Visit

 

Prior to the site visitor’s arrival, travel arrangements and the site visit agenda should be discussed and finalized with the Team chair.

Additional Materials to be Available On-Site:

The following materials should be available for the on-site team to review:

  • Sample forms used in the student selection process.
  • Student records.
  • Course materials that include syllabi, assignment instructions, and assessment measures. 
  • Samples of student work. 
  • Fieldwork evaluation forms.
  • Forms and reports used as part of program evaluation, such as student evaluations of courses, faculty evaluations, fieldwork performance evaluations, student satisfaction of fieldwork experience, student satisfaction with the program, etc.
  • All signed memorandums of understanding and fieldwork information.
 
Accreditation evaluation on-site dates will be communicated to the programs the February prior to the on-site evaluation academic year. For programs undergoing reaccreditation, the Report of Self Study is due 3 months prior to the program’s scheduled on-site evaluation. For planning purposes, programs may use the earliest Report of Self Study due date of May 1st.