Accreditation Handbook—Chapter II: Mission and Principles of the CAA
The next Accreditation Customer Feedback Survey will be conducted in the last quarter of 2017. Results from this triennial survey will be available in early 2018 and used to develop the CAA’s next strategic plan.
The previous Customer Feedback Survey was fielded in the fall of 2013. This survey gave academic and clinical faculty members at CAA-accredited and candidate programs the opportunity to provide feedback about:
- Site visits
- Annual report and re-accreditation processes
- CAA tools and forms
- Program strengths and innovations
- Areas for CAA to consider for future focus and resource development
A total of 1,209 individuals (21%) of those invited to participate (n=5,757 individuals) responded to the 2013 survey.
Overall Satisfaction
In terms of overall satisfaction with the accreditation program, 65% of stakeholders indicated that they were somewhat or very satisfied, and 8% were not at all or not very satisfied. In 2010, 58% of respondents were very or somewhat satisfied with the program.
Core Values and Mission
Reasons the CAA’s accreditation program was valued in 2013:
- National recognition that CAA accreditation provides (n=81% of respondents)
- Standards-based nature of CAA accreditation (n=67% of respondents)
- Impetus for continuous improvement that accreditation provides (n=58% of respondents)
One respondent noted, “I was pleased with the process of self-reflection that was required. I relate it to our comprehensive exam in the AuD program: The value is in preparing for the test, not the test.”
In terms of CAA’s meeting its mission, 79% of respondents who held an opinion felt the CAA was somewhat or very successful at “promoting excellence in graduate education.” The CAA received its best ratings for core values for accountability and credibility: 82% and 79% of stakeholders, respectively, indicated the CAA was somewhat or very successful at meeting these values. In contrast, only 51% of stakeholders indicated CAA was somewhat or very successful in meeting the core values of creativity and innovation.
Next Steps
The CAA thanks all academic and clinical faculty members who provided feedback on the 2013 Accreditation Customer Feedback Survey and assures stakeholders that their voices have been heard. The CAA greatly values suggestions for improvements from those who are most familiar with the process and the accreditation program itself. The CAA reviewed each of the 1,700+ comments received, and grouped them into categories for follow-up actions:
- Reporting processes (annual report, initial accreditation, re-accreditation, candidacy)
- Site visit processes
- Standards for Accreditation and educational models
- Quality of accredited programs and their graduates
- CAA communications and education opportunities
- Technology, forms, and processes
- Staffing and resource materials
Survey results were used to revise strategies and goals under CAA’s 2012–2016 Strategic Plan and were considered when developing the CAA’s 2016–2018 Strategic Plan.
