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Home / Resources / Program Director Expectations

Program Director Expectations

Accreditation Handbook—Chapter XI: Expectations of Programs

This compilation of online resources is designed to support a new program director in understanding and meeting the program’s obligations as it relates to accreditation.

Understand the Benefits of CAA Accreditation

To Programs

Because CAA is a USDE-recognized accrediting agency, accredited programs are eligible to participate in federal grant programs, including the Academic Research Enhancement Award (R-15) grants through the National Institutes of Health and the Allied Health Projects Grant Program, part of the Public Health Service Act. CAA also has an agreement with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) (now Council for the Accreditation for Educator Preparation—CAEP) that supports both accreditation programs by reducing the documentation requirements to the education accreditor.

To Students

Graduation from a CAA-accredited program may be required for eligibility for professional credentials, such as the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC), state licensure, and teacher certification, and may be a preferred or required condition for employment with some agencies like the Veterans Administration.

File Accreditation Reports on Time

Accreditation Handbook—Chapter XV: Overview of Application Review Process

Report Types

Most programs are expected to file an Annual Report. However, the CAA conducts a comprehensive review of each accredited program every 5–8 years, depending on the program’s accreditation cycle and would expect the program to file an Application for (Continued) Accreditation as a result. Accreditation staff notifies the program director as to what type of report to submit when the system is open for reports to be submitted, approximately 4 months before the due date.

Report Submission Dates

February 1 or August 1, depending on the anniversary date of the program.

Accreditation Cycles

You can view the CAA’s list of accredited and candidate programs [PDF], which indicates the current accreditation cycle of the program and the year in which the next comprehensive review will be initiated. You can confirm the submission date (February or August) by which to file CAA reports in Chapter XVII of the Accreditation Handbook or by contacting the Accreditation Office at caareports@asha.org.

Resources for Report Preparation

  • Forms and Worksheets
  • Self-Study and Its Relationship to Accreditation—Chapter II of the Accreditation Handbook

Notify the CAA When Program Changes are Planned or Occur

Accreditation Handbook—Chapter XI: Expectations of Programs
  • Program Director Change [DOC]
  • Administrative Structure Change [PDF]
  • Program Closure
  • Substantive Changes—distance education, satellite/branch campus, contractual agreement

Pay Accreditation Fees Annually and On Time

The CAA Accreditation Office typically sends invoices for annual accreditation fees at the beginning of the calendar year. The current Accreditation Fee Schedule is online to assist you in your budget planning.

Vote in Annual Elections for CAA Members

The CAA’s composition includes academic, practitioner, and public members. All accredited programs in good standing are eligible to vote for the academic and practitioner members of the council. Elections are typically held in late August-mid September.

Keep Informed of Changes in Accreditation Policies or Procedures

  • Attend focused sessions at ASHA’s Annual Convention, CAPCSD’s Annual Conference, or other meetings at which CAA members or accreditation staff are presenting
  • Read Accreditation Connection, CAA’s e-newsletter, sent to program directors and faculty at least three times each year
  • Stay up-to-date on the Standards for Accreditation

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  • Importance of Responding to CAA Reports

Accreditation Handbook

The Accreditation Handbook contains the policies and procedures that govern the CAA's operations, including the conduct of accreditation reviews of eligible programs.

Standards for Accreditation

The CAA has adopted Standards for Accreditation for review of eligible graduate education programs in audiology and speech-language pathology.

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About ASHA

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The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for members and affiliates who are audiologists, speech-language pathologists, speech, language, and hearing scientists, audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel, and students.

About the CAA

The Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) accredits eligible clinical doctoral programs in audiology and master's degree programs in speech-language pathology. The CAA relies on a dedicated corps of volunteers serving as Council members and site visitors to accomplish the work of the accreditation program.

Contact the CAA

Questions and/or requests for information about accreditation or the CAA can be directed to:

The Council on Academic Accreditation in
Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
2200 Research Boulevard, #310
Rockville, MD 20850

800-498-2071

E-Mail the CAA

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