Guidelines for program accreditation site visits
Program accreditation is a valuable process of self and peer assessment for the purpose of establishing, evaluating and monitoring quality and accountability among multiple degree programs at VCU. The Office of the Provost is committed to supporting academic program accreditation and have established the following timeline to ensure appropriate communication with academic departments concerning the accreditation process.
This page provides a condensed operational overview of the accreditation review process. For complete procedural requirements, templates, and detailed guidance, refer to the Program Accreditation Institutional Review Guide.
The information on this page is intended to ensure that staff in the Office of the Provost can provide the necessary support to degree programs seeking or maintaining accreditation through specialized accrediting organizations. In preparation for submitting a program accreditation self-study report and hosting an on-site campus visit, academic programs must complete the following steps by the designated deadlines.
Please note: Programs and departments preparing for an upcoming specialized accreditation review must notify the Provost’s Office by completing the accreditation review notification form below.
Accreditation Review Process Overview
| Phase/Milestone | Purpose | Academic Affairs Role | Submission Timeline |
|
Phase 1: |
Initiates the formal institutional accreditation review process |
Confirms key timelines and identifies institutional support needs |
At least 12 months before the scheduled review or self-study due date |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Phase 2: Draft Self-Study Submission |
Maintain a record of materials being prepared for accreditation and identify institutional-level issues or support that may be needed before final submission. Provide an opportunity for programs to request a focused review of specific standards or areas of concern. |
Offer support and connect programs with institutional resources as needed. When requested by the program, conduct a focused review of potential compliance concerns and areas requiring institutional support or leadership awareness. |
At least 6 Weeks before agency submission deadline |
|
Phase 3: Final Self-Study Submission |
Provide Academic Affairs with the final self-study submitted to the accrediting agency and the preliminary site visit schedule, if available. |
Receives the final submitted self-study and preliminary site visit schedule for institutional awareness and planning. |
Upon submission to the accrediting agency |
|
Phase 4: Post-Visit Debrief Summary |
Review site visit feedback and any preliminary findings or draft accreditation materials, as applicable, and identify institutional coordination or follow-up needs. |
Support institutional coordination and follow-up based on site visit feedback, preliminary findings, or draft accreditation materials, as applicable. |
Within 5 business days following site visit |
|
Phase 5: Final Accreditation Action
|
Document the accreditor's final action and identify any resulting institutional follow-up requirements. |
Review the final accreditation action and coordinate institutional monitoring or follow-up, as needed. |
Within 2 weeks of receipt of action |
Required Submissions
To maintain continuous institutional record keeping and ensure compliance, academic programs are required to share all substantive accreditation correspondence received during the review process with Academic Affairs through the Accreditation Review Notification Form.
Mandatory document uploads include:
- Self-study reports (including all appendices)
- Official accreditation action letters and comprehensive findings reports
- Progress reports and formal corrective action plans, if required.
Routine announcements, meeting notices, and other administrative correspondence do not need to be shared.
For detailed submission requirements, refer to the Program Accreditation Institutional Review Guide.
Questions?
Please use the academic strategy and innovation "Help desk" ticket system to submit inquiries related to program accreditation.