Frequently Asked Questions for Current Site Visitors

What if I have questions regarding a possible conflict of interest with the program or another member of the Site Visit team?
Examples of potential conflicts of interest can be found here. If there is still question with regard to a specific relationship, please consult the Office of Accreditation.
 
Is there a limit to the number of site visits I can agree to?
You can accept or decline as many site visit requests as you wish. Ideally, no site visitor will participate in more then two site visits per year, but this limit is merely a suggestion and should not limit you from doing additional visits if your schedule allows.

What travel plans will I be responsible for? How will I be reimbursed for these expenses?
Transportation: Site visitors are responsible for arranging their own transportation. You can either call the APA Travel Office to book your flight, or you may make your own reservations. If you choose to make your own flight arrangements, be sure to report travel costs on your expense report. If you wish to use any other means of transportation (rental car, etc.) you must receive prior approval from the Accreditation Office.

Hotel: Ask the program to suggest a convenient and affordable hotel. Indicate hotel costs on your expense report and submit it to the Accreditation Office for reimbursement with the paid hotel receipt (zero balance).

Will APA reimburse me for an extra night at the hotel?
APA will reimburse you for an additional night if you can save substantially on airfare by staying over at a location. Please notify the Accreditation Office ahead of time so that you will be reimbursed for your hotel accommodations for that evening.

All other requests for the reimbursement of additional nights are only approved under extenuating circumstances and need to be approved by the Accreditation Office prior to the visit.

Is there any set limit for hotel costs?
The Accreditation Office understands that hotel prices vary depending on geographic location, and tend to run very high in urban areas. While there is no set dollar amount, we ask that you seek additional suggestions from the program if the hotel cost seems particularly high for a certain area.

Who makes the Site Visit schedule? Can I get a sample schedule?
The schedule should be developed by the Chair of the site visit team and the Training Director of the program at least two weeks prior to the site visit. Due to the many structural differences among programs, we do not provide a sample schedule.

When should I receive program materials regarding the site visit?
The program is responsible for providing you with a copy of the program’s self-study report at least one month prior to the visit. If you do not receive these materials, please contact the Director of Training.

APA will send materials to confirm the visit six weeks prior to the visit. This packet will include the APA Travel Office Memo and an Expense Report form. If you do not receive this confirmation, please contact the Accreditation Office.

Are my Accreditation materials up to date?

• The Guidelines and Principles for Accreditation .pdf [460kb] and the Accreditation Operating Procedures .pdf [344 kb]  were updated in 2007. Hard copies are available from the Accreditation Office upon request.
• The most recent version of the Site Visitor Workbook is edition IXb. If you do not have this version, please contact the Accreditation Office and we will forward a copy to you immediately.
• Implementing Regulations – Because the Implementing Regulations are updated frequently, they are not available in print form and must be downloaded from the website at http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/implementregs200524.pdf.pdf [470kb]. Please check the accreditation website regularly for notices of new or revised policies.
• Quick Reference Guides - Please utilize the appropriate guide (Doctoral/Internship/Postdoctoral) to assist you when conducting the site visit as well as when drafting the site visit report. These can be downloaded from the accreditation website.

PDF documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download)

How should I structure the site visit (SV) report?
Site visitors should structure their reports according to the appropriate Quick Reference Guide (QRG). QRG’s for doctoral, internship, and postdoctoral programs are available on the accreditation website and in hard copy by request from the Accreditation Office. Structuring reports according to the QRG’s facilitates the review by the Commission and insures that the information obtained during the site visit addresses all Accreditation Guidelines and Principles.

How many copies of the SV report should I send? When is the report due?
Please send one copy of the report to the Accreditation Office (with the site visit schedule attached) 30 days following the visit.

Once the report is submitted what other responsibilities do I have?
Once the site visit report and schedule are submitted your responsibility for the site visit is complete. Occasionally the Office of Accreditation may need to call a site visitor to clarify information provided in the site visit report.

Will I receive feedback regarding the visit?
As of 2004, site visitors receive copies of final decision letters for the programs they visit (see Implementing Regulation D4-9). The Commission views this as an opportunity to provide site visitors feedback regarding the outcome of the program review and information about the accreditation review process, in general.

Site visitors who go on at least 2 visits during a year will receive aggregate data on their ratings from the programs they visited. Such data is compiled by the Accreditation Office on an annual basis.

Beginning with 2008 site visits, site visit teams will receive a copy of the program’s response to their report (see Implementing Regulation D3-3(b)) after the CoA has made a decision on that program.  Site visitors receive these materials only in the interest of providing feedback on their performance with the intent being to improve future reports.  The CoA and Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation do not expect, and will not accept, any responses regarding the contents of these materials from site visitors.   

How long do I need to keep the site visit materials (e.g. self-study, site visit report)?
Once the Commission renders a final decision, the site visit team will receive a copy of the program’s decision letter and response to the site visit report.  This indicates that the review is final and that ALL program material is to be destroyed, including the decision letters.

I have not been invited to participate on a site visit team lately. How can I find out if I am still an active member of the site visitor pool?
Some years you may have many invitations, while other years, you may never receive a call.  It is very dependent on your area of expertise and the types of programs up for review. Sometimes this is simply a matter of incorrect information in the site visitor database.  The accreditation database is separate from all other APA databases, so please update the Accreditation Office specifically if your contact information changes.  If you would like to participate in more visits, please contact the Accreditation Office so that we can confirm your contact information and update the cycles (winter/spring/fall) that are most convenient for you to do visits.
 
How do I become a site visit team chair?
Once you have participated as the second member on 3 site visits, you are automatically eligible to serve as the chair of a site visit team and may appear on lists as a potential chair. Chair Workshops are offered periodically to aid in the transition to site visitor chair. Attending this workshop is encouraged, but not required, to head a site visit team. If you would be interested in attending such a workshop, please contact the office.

What if I do not wish to chair a site visit?
If you are asked to chair a team, but do not wish to lead the visit, you are welcome to offer your services as the second member of the team.  If you do not wish to appear on further “chair” lists, please contact the office.  Your name will remain in the site visitor pool as a “group 2” member only.

When does the Commission on Accreditation meet? How many programs are reviewed each year?
The CoA meets 3 times per year (Spring/Summer/Fall).  Exact dates for the Commission on Accreditation meetings are publicly announced on an annual basis and are available on the “Important Dates” section of the accreditation website.

The Commission reviews approximately 70 programs at each meeting for a total of about 210 programs each year.

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Please feel free to contact the Accreditation Office with any questions!
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington , DC 20002-4242
(202) 336-5979

APA Travel Office
1-800-925-2864
traveloffice

Updated 01.31.08