What information needs to be included when submitting a site visitor application?
- Modified curriculum vitae for past five years
- Names of three (3) personal references who can attest to the applicant's qualifications to be a site visitor including professional competency, interpersonal skills, and ability to critically analyze, verbalize and record pertinent objective data.
- Personal statement of the qualifications regarding experience in accreditation, clinical education, standards development, site visits, professional competence, university governance, ASHA governance, etc.
- Signature of applicant that signifies knowledge and adherence to the ASHA Code of Ethics and conflict of interest statements as described in the CAA Site Visit Manual.
How often is site visitor training offered?
The Site Visitor Training is offered once a year by the CAA. The Council trains 25-28 persons each year.
How many people serve as site visitors for the CAA?
The CAA maintains a pool of 50-60 academics and 20-30 practitioners that have completed the training and are active site visitors. Site visitors serve a specified term to provide a mechanism for new site visitors to rotate into the pool on a systematic basis. The current list of site visitors is posted on the Web site.
How long is the training workshop and where will it be held?
The CAA's Site Visitor Training Workshop is conducted at the ASHA National Office in Rockville, Maryland and is two full days.
What is the average number of site visits in which one would be required to participate in a given year?
The CAA's Plan indicates that practitioner members of the site visitor pool should expect to participate in at least 2 site visits per year. Academic members may be asked to participate in 3 visits per year.
Which times of year are site visits typically conducted?
Visits are scheduled during the academic year - in the Fall and Spring semesters. Programs that submit applications in February will have a site visit conducted between September and December of the same year (Fall). Programs that submit applications in August will have a site visit between February and May of the next year (Spring).
On occasion site visits are scheduled during the summer months, but the majority of visits are scheduled during the academic year. It is important for the site visit team to have opportunity to visit when the students and faculty are on-campus and in the normal rhythm of the academic term.
When I have agreed to participate in a site visit, how many days should I expect to be away from home/work?
Typically, site visits are scheduled 2 full days (Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday). Site visitors are expected to arrive on-site mid-afternoon/early evening the night before the visit to allow time for the team to meet in preparation for the visit that begins the next day. However, the length of the visit may be extended an extra day to accommodate the review of more complex programs.
Besides the time committed to conducting the site visits themselves, are there other time commitments of which I need to be aware?
Site visitors should expect to allocate time in advance of the site visit to review the program's application and any other related materials. The program's application materials (the program's self-study) is sent at least 4-6 weeks in advance of the visit. The team chair works with the program on developing its agenda and the team chair often consults with the rest of the site visit team on this activity as well.
A site visit report is generated by the team and is due 30 days after the site visit. You should allow time after the visit to write, edit, and/or review the report before it is submitted to the National Office.
If selected as a site visitor, how long would the commitment be?
Site visitors are selected for 4-year terms (academic years) and are evaluated annually. The CAA reserves the right to excuse individuals from service if they no longer qualify to serve in this capacity or fail to meet the expectations as outlined in the Plan. Site visitors also may opt out of this volunteer activity.
Will I be assigned to programs in my home state?
No. The CAA's conflict of interest policy indicates that site visitors are not scheduled to participate in visits in their home state or those in which they attended or may have been employed.
Do site visitors receive an honorarium?
No. Site visitors are considered volunteers and are not paid for their participation on site visits.
Who pays for the hotel, travel, and other expenses related to the site visits?
All site visit expenses, including airfare and hotel, are covered by ASHA in accordance with ASHA's travel and reimbursement policies. The initial 2-day training expenses are also covered by the CAA/ASHA.
What if during your 4-year term as a site visitor you enroll in an institution of higher education (i.e., pursuing a PhD)?
If your site visitor status as an academic or practitioner changes, you would need to notify the CAA of this and a decision would be made with you about whether or not you would still meet the qualifications. The Plan outlines the requisite qualifications for each category of site visitor. Also, due to the CAA's policy on conflict of interests, you would not be able to serve as a site visitor to the program seeking (re)accreditation at that institution.
Lastly, if selected as a site visitor are you obligated or do you have the right of refusal?
All applicants are notified by the CAA whether or not they were selected to participate as a site visitor. If selected, the CAA asks you to indicate whether or not you accept the appointment and if so, to verify your availability for the training dates.
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