Director’s Update
The ACOTE Educational Standards Review Committee (ESRC)
The ACOTE Educational Standard Review Committee (ESRC) has been formed and held its first meeting in April 2022. This committee will conduct a complete evaluation and revision of the Accreditation Standards for a Doctoral-Degree-Level and Master’s-Degree-Level Educational Program for the Occupational Therapist and Accreditation Standards for a Baccalaureate-Degree-Level and Associate-Degree-Level Educational Program for the Occupational Therapy Assistant. Thank you to all who completed the Call for Comment survey and who sent in comments. All comments were reviewed and considered by the ESRC during this meeting. General feedback is welcome and can be provided at any time by clicking here. The committee will meet again in August 2022 to work on completing the first draft of the revised Standards.
Recruitment for the Roster of Accreditation Evaluators (RAE)
ACOTE is seeking new members for the Roster of Accreditation Evaluators (RAE). RAE members evaluate the compliance of occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant educational programs with ACOTE Accreditation Standards through on-site evaluations and online reviews. Their work provides ACOTE with the necessary information to make accreditation decisions and helps to ensure the competency of future occupational therapy practitioners. ACOTE is placing a strategic emphasis on expanding the diversity of the practice and education settings, and the education levels represented on the RAE. Occupational therapy practitioners and occupational therapy assistant (practitioners and educators) are especially needed and are strongly encouraged to apply. If you know someone who is well suited for this volunteer position, please refer them to the RAE Application for Membership, located on the ACOTE website, for more information and the application process.
Conversation with ACOTE
There have been many changes over the past year and ACOTE will be providing program directors, faculty, and other stakeholders an opportunity to have a conversation with ACOTE. The session will be May 26, 2022, at 8:30 pm Eastern Time. Please register to attend the session here.
Self-Study Workshop
The Self-Study Preparation Workshop is designed to meet the needs of program directors and faculty preparing for an upcoming self-study review and new program directors wanting to understand more about the accreditation process. The workshop includes didactic instruction and interactive sessions with a mock review of sample materials and interviews. Topics covered include:
(1) How to get started on a report of self-study; (2) What to consider when writing the report; (3) What are the key elements in the self-study; (4) How much detail is needed; (5) What the reviewers are looking for in the self-study; (6) How to prepare for the on-site visit; (7) What programs need to show the on-site reviewers; and (8) Review of the e-Accreditation System. Dates and registration information can be found here.
Annual Fees
Annual fees are due each year from accredited programs, including the year in which an on-site evaluation is scheduled. For new programs, the annual fee becomes effective with the first full academic year for which the program has accreditation status. See the current Fee Schedule (ACOTE Policy V.A. Fees). Invoices for the 2022 annual fees will be e-mailed to program directors by July 1, 2022, and payment is due no later than October 15, 2022. For accredited programs and all accredited program locations, the 2022/2023 annual fee is $4,750. For programs with a status of Accreditation-Inactive, the 2022/2023 annual fee is $2,375. The Accreditation Department should be notified at accred@aota.org if early notification is required to facilitate processing of a purchase order for payment.
Resources
- The ACOTE Website (www.acoteonline.org) is a valuable resource for information. You can find information on program numbers, past ACOTE actions, past newsletters, frequently asked questions, forms, templates and much more.
Gentle Reminders
- Update the program director and faculty licenses in the “FACULTY” tab in the eAccreditation portal.
- It is the responsibility of the program director to remain current with the most recent Standards Interpretive Guide and ACOTE® policies located on www.acoteonline.org. Updates to these documents are reported on the ACOTE® website after each ACOTE® meeting.
Please submit all questions to accred@aota.org to ensure your questions are answered promptly.
