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An on-site visit is necessary for a review team to assess factors that cannot be adequately described in written form.


The Team Size

The typical minimum review team size is three members; one team chair (TC) and two or three program evaluators one PEV per program.


Visit Schedule

Typically an on-site visit is scheduled between September and March, and lasts two days.

Site visit schedule template – universities (English)
Site visit schedule template – universities (French)

Site visit schedule template – colleges


What Happens During an On-site Visit?

During initial or comprehensive on-site visits the review team will:

·         Verify the information provided in the Self-Study Report.

·         Investigate issues identified during review of the Self-Study Report.

·         Interview students, faculty members, administrators, and staff.

·         Review display materials.

·         Visit classrooms, labs, and other key facilities.

·         Determine compliance with the applicable criteria and policies.

·         Assist each program under review in recognizing its strong and weak points.

·         Share suggestions for improvements or exchange best practices.

·         Conduct an exit meeting to convey the team’s findings. This meeting is attended by the institution’s chief executive officer and any administrators s/he chooses. The team will briefly lists the preliminary findings along with an explanation of the period in which the programs can respond to any errors of fact in the oral statement.


Display Materials

Display materials are defined as:

o   Textbooks for each course in the technical curriculum

o   Course Syllabi

o   Student work including sample assignments, exams, ranging in quality from excellent through poor

o   Assessment Materials

o   Additional displayed materials may be requested by the review team. Programs located in countries where English is not the native language should be prepared to provide English translations for some displayed materials. Please check with the team chair assigned to your program regarding items that should be translated.


Observers

In some instances, a review team may include observers, individuals who are learning about the CIPS accreditation process. Observers can be program evaluator trainees, members of licensure or registration boards, or representatives from CIPS  international partnerships.

The inclusion of observers on any visit is at the discretion of CIPS Headquarters, the team chair, and the institution being visited.