Accreditation Quality Management System

Accreditation Handbook—Chapter II: Mission and Principles of the CAA

The CAA adopted a formalized Accreditation Quality Management System (AQMS) in 2005, with the goal of creating, implementing, and maintaining an ongoing mechanism for assessment and improvement of accreditation administration, operations, and services to academic programs, volunteers, and the public. The AQMS includes the collection of performance feedback about site visitors, CAA members, and accreditation staff; review of policies, processes, and procedures; as well as formal surveys about targeted areas of CAA’s accreditation program.

AQMS Objectives

• Evaluate the extent to which the CAA is achieving the goals and objectives it has established
• Create constancy in improvement of services to appropriate stakeholders (e.g., academic programs, students, faculty, Council members, regulators, consumers, general public)
• Identify opportunities for improvement through the use of evaluation mechanisms that seeks feedback from all stakeholders in the accreditation process
• Regularly implement monitors to assure that improvements in quality of service and operations are controlled and maintained
• Sustain operations such that rigor, integrity, and competitive positioning are end results for the CAA’s accreditation program

Continuous Quality Improvement

The CAA measures the effectiveness of the accreditation process, then analyzes results and identifies areas of future focus to improve the program. The CAA seeks feedback on an ongoing basis from programs and stakeholders to ensure that the academic accreditation program offered by the CAA is of the highest quality and not only meets, but exceeds, programs’ needs and expectations. Internal and external mechanisms are used continuously, such as site visitor performance feedback, training and workshop evaluations, and focus groups.

Customer Feedback Surveys and Trends

As part of the AQMS, a comprehensive evaluation process (customer feedback surveys) occurs every 3–4 years. The 2021 Customer Feedback Survey was fielded in October 2021 and yielded helpful data to support development of CAA’s 2023–2026 Strategic Plan as well as improvements to some of its existing processes and program resources. The CAA will field the next customer feedback survey in 2024; however, it is always open to receiving suggestions and ideas at accreditation@asha.org.