Accrediting Commission for Program in Hospitality Administration
Rick Donnelly, Ph.D., East Stroudsburg University , Standing ACPHA Commissioner
Jeff Lolli, Ed.D., CHE, Widener University , Standing ACPHA Commissioner
GUIDE FOR TEAM MEMBERS
CONDUCTING A SITE VISIT
JULY 29, 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA
SESSION OVERVIEW
Introduction
 Responsibilities
 Before the Visit
 The Visit
 After the Visit

OPENING
Host and Attendee Introductions
 How many people have participated in a site
visit?
 When and where did you go?
 What was your experience like?
 Did you feel well prepared?
 What would you change about the experience?

INTRODUCTION

The interaction between the Commission on
Accreditation and a hospitality management
program can be summarized as follows:
 The
program looks at itself and speaks to the
Commission through its self-study document
 A team of experienced peers, appointed by the
Commission, appraises and advises the program,
through the Team Evaluation Report
 The program replies to the team report in a written
response addressed to the Commission
INTRODUCTION

The interaction between the Commission on
Accreditation and a hospitality management
program can be summarized as follows:
 The
Commission, after considering the information
derived from the preceding three steps, determines
accreditation status. The Commission alone makes
accreditation decisions
 The program, as part of its ongoing evaluation and
planning process, continues to consider and act on the
results of its own self-study and the advice it has
received
INTRODUCTION

The team visit is important for several reasons:
 Provides
an opportunity to verify the information
submitted in the self-study report
 Team members can derive additional data clarifying
the written report which enables them to probe more
deeply on some issues.
 Inquire about areas in programmatic life not
adequately covered in the self-study
INTRODUCTION

The team visit is important for several reasons:
 Stimulate
growth and development in the program
 The interchange of information and viewpoints and
the raising of important questions and issues in
interviews should inspire insights and encouragement
in reassessing what has been done and considers ideas
that may enhance the program
BEFORE THE VISIT

Arrangements for the team
 Approval
of Team
 Lodging and meal arrangements
 Travel arrangements
 Workroom
BEFORE THE VISIT

Preparations for the Evaluation Visit
 Receiving
 Team
the necessary materials from ACPHA
Composition
 Studying
the program material sent
 Self-Study
Report
 Supporting Documents
 Time
Frames
BEFORE THE VISIT

The Self-Study
 The
Self-Study Report should provide a
comprehensive description, and a thorough in-depth
assessment of all aspects of the program
 Nine sections with 42 total standards
BEFORE THE VISIT

The Self-Study
 It
is also critical that you read the entire report
 The team chairperson will assign you the
responsibility for specific sections.
 You will need to be particularly well acquainted with
your assigned sections of the self-study report.
BEFORE THE VISIT

The Self-Study
 If
your review suggests the need for additional or
clarifying information that would be helpful to you,
you should communicate this to the team chairperson
 It is the team chairperson's responsibility to convey
this request to the program or to the Commission
office as soon as possible, so that the material can be
available for the team's use prior to the accreditation
visit
BEFORE THE VISIT

The Self-Study
 It
is extremely helpful if each team members begins to
draft their responses to the standards in their assigned
sections prior to the actual site visit
 This should be based on the information available in
the self-study and other supporting documentation
 Gathering additional information during the site visit
is necessary to support your initial analysis
 The team chair will provide you with a Team
Evaluation Report template
BEFORE THE VISIT

The Self-Study
 As
you study it, prepare a checklist for your use
during the visit. Here are some guiding questions:
 What
else do you need to know about the program?
 At what point does the document need further clarification or
interpretation?
 Are there inconsistencies within the document that will need to
be explored?
 What are the apparent strengths and weaknesses of the program?
 Does the documented evidence provided substantiate the
program’s claim in meeting the ACPHA Standards.
 Who are the people you will wish to interview?
BEFORE THE VISIT

The ACPHA Standards found in the Self-Study
Explained
 Sections
 I.
(Review Handout):
Mission and Outcomes: 3 Standards
 II.
Administration and Governance: 3 Standards
 III. Planning: 4 Standards
 IV.
Assurance of Student Learning: 4 Standards
 V.
Curriculum: 5 Standards
 VI. Instructional Resources: 10 Standards
 VII. Student Support Services: 7 Standards
 VIII. Physical and Learning Resources: 4 Standards
 IX. Financial Resources: 2 Standards
DURING THE VISIT

Team Expectations
 Expectations
with respect to professionalism include
attire and attitude
 Maintain high ethical and professional standards
 Avoid making comparisons with other programs
 Adhere to schedule
 Team should not socialize with Program during visit
 If Program wishes to do so after the exit interview,
that is acceptable
DURING THE VISIT
 The
structure of an on-site visit
 Typically
a Sunday through Wednesday
 Activities
 Initial
on-site team meeting
 Program Meet and Greet
 Interviews with College/University Administrators
DURING THE VISIT
 Activities
(continued)
 Interviews
with all constituency groups that impact
the program
 Data collection and evidence review
 Team Conferencing
 Evaluation Report
 Exit Interview
DURING THE VISIT

Initial On-Site Team Meeting
 Conducted
by team Chair with all team members
 Typically held Sunday over dinner
 Team is able to meet, share information, and initial
perceptions regarding program
 Team finalizes their strategy for the visit
DURING THE VISIT

Program Meet and Greet
 Typically
the initial meeting on Monday
 Held with faculty and program administration
 Informal method to get to know everyone in the
Program
DURING THE VISIT

Interviews with College/University
Administration
 All
site visitation team members attend
 Typically these meetings are held on Monday
 Usually with the President/Chancellor and the Provost
(can vary based on the College/University)
 Site visitation team can get to know the Senior
Administration and their perspective on the Program
 Senior Administration can be informed of ACPHA’s
processes
DURING THE VISIT

Interviews with all constituency groups that
impact the program (Review Schedule Handout)
 This
is where the site visitation team will split up
based on the areas they are assigned
 Meeting/Interviews are scheduled with individuals
based on what section they are contributing to in the
Team Evaluation Report, (i.e. There would be a
meeting with the appropriate person in the library
which would contribute to the information that will go
into the Physical and Learning Resources section of
the Evaluation Report).
DURING THE VISIT
 For
some meetings/interviews only one team member
will conduct it, while other meetings would be better
served with additional team members as the schedule
permits
 Team members should have questions prepared in
advanced
 Questions will be developed based on additional
information needed after the initial reading of the selfstudy and research on information in workroom
 Meetings/interviews are usually scheduled somewhere
in the college or university for approximately 30
minutes – Be prepared to walk to your location
DURING THE VISIT
 Site
visitation team members need to be prepared to
answer any questions regarding ACPHA processes
and standards from the various individuals they
interview.
 If a site visitation team member cannot answer a
question, seek assistance from the chair
 Take copious notes during the interviews
 Remain positive, professional and upbeat
 Refrain from being prescriptive or comparing the
institution to others or your own
DURING THE VISIT

Data Collection and Evidence Review
 Programs
cannot just claim to be doing “something”
to meet a standard,( i.e., All graduates from the
program find employment)
 There must be consistent documented evidence of
what the programs claims they are doing to meet the
standards is actually occurring and the claim can be
substantiated with real evidence
DURING THE VISIT

Data Collection and Evidence Review
 Data
are collected from various points such as what
are provided in the team workroom, in the self-study
exhibits and appendices, and through other documents
collected during the interviews, etc.
 The rule is if there is no evidence, then it did not
happen (even if it did) – Program must provide proof
 This evidence should be referred to when writing the
response in Team Evaluation Report
DURING THE VISIT

Team Conferencing
 The
site visitation team will come together at the end
of each day to discuss their findings and begin to
collaboratively develop their response in Team
Evaluation Report
 It is helpful, whenever possible, for team members to
attend as many of the meetings that their schedule
permits.
 Team members should generally agree on the
responses in Team Evaluation Report and whether or
not the program meets a standards
DURING THE VISIT

Team Conferencing
 Disagreements
should be thoroughly discussed in
private with all site visitation team members. At the
conclusion of the discussion, the team should
generally reach consensus on any dividing issues
 If there is not general consensus, then the Chair has
the final decision on what goes into the evaluation
report
 This will occur in the team workroom
DURING THE VISIT

Evaluation Report
 The
Evaluation Report matches the ACPHA SelfStudy standards completed by the program
 Each site team member will be responsible for writing
the response to the standards in their assigned section.
 Written in clear and non-prescriptive manner in the
third person
 The chair will give each team member instructions on
flow and use of consistent verbiage and terminology
 Response must be thorough and clearly demonstrate
the evidence of how the Program is or is not meeting
each standard
DURING THE VISIT

Evaluation Report
 The
team must have a rough draft of the report for
review at the conclusion of day two of the site visit
 Throughout the visit the team will be noting strengths
and weaknesses of the hospitality program being
evaluated
 Consensus should be reached concerning the
significant strengths and weaknesses that will be
communicated to the program and to the Commission
DURING THE VISIT
 Evaluation
Report
 The
following is the flow of the written evaluation
report:
 The
standard in its entirety is stated
 The team’s response to how the Program is meeting the
standard is stated
 The following terms are used in the report as needed:

Strengths – A program should be commended for those aspects of
its life that are considered by the team to be especially valuable and
that need to be emphasized both to commend and to make clear that
these are things that should not be permitted to weaken as changes
occur.
DURING THE VISIT

Suggestions – A suggestion is one that offers, for consideration by
the program, a course of action the team believes would contribute
to the improvement of educational quality, even though such action
is not necessary to comply with the commission’s standards. It
must be understood that these suggestions are advisory only.

Concerns – Concerns are aspects of a program life that the team
believes require major attention. Some of these may currently be
affecting adversely the quality of the educational program. Others
may have the potential for adverse effects.

Recommendations – Recommendations are developed from the
team’s concerns. A recommendation indicates that in the team’s
professional judgment that certain conditions so affect the
program’s ability to meet the standards that these conditions must
be changed. Recommendations to alter such conditions are not just
advice, because they bear substantively on the issue of accredited
status.
DURING THE VISIT

Evaluation Report
 If
there is a concern stated, then a recommendation(s) must
also be stated
 The team must state either, “The standard is met” or “The
standard is not met”
 Avoid
rhetorical questions
 Avoid comments or suggestions related to
personalities within the program or institution
 Avoid prescribing (as opposed to suggesting) specific
solutions to problems
 Do not forget that the identification of strengths is
fully as important as pointing out things that have
caused the team to have concerns
DURING THE VISIT

The Exit Interview
 It
is imperative that the tone and content of the oral
version of the team’s evaluation report be consistent
with the written version of the evaluation report that
will be later sent to the program
 The oral report should leave no doubt about what
standards were met and not met
 The oral report may be interactive in nature
 You may draw attention to the strengths of the
program and be specific on the Standards not met
and why they were not met
DURING THE VISIT

The Exit Interview
 The
program may ask questions as to how to go about
meeting the standards and the team can choose to
offer collegial recommendations
 The program needs to understand what they need to
do in order to be in compliance with ACPHA
standards
 They will have full opportunity to respond in writing,
to the team report before it is considered by the
Commission
AFTER THE VISIT

Preparation of the Final Evaluation Report
 The
team chairperson typically writes the introductory
and concluding sections of the report in addition to
any areas of program life for which he/she has
assumed specific responsibility
 The chair edits the drafts of other team members so
the final report expresses a cohesive understanding of
the program
AFTER THE VISIT

Preparation of the final evaluation report
 When
the final report is completed, the team
chairperson will send an electronic copy of the
following to the program, the site team members, and
the Commission:
 A cover
letter with instructions on how the program should
respond to the team’s recommendations and a timeline for
response to the Commission.
 The final Evaluation Report.
AFTER THE VISIT

The review of the Team’s report by the
Commission
 The
Self-Study Report, the Evaluation Report, and the
Program's Follow-Up Report are all studied by
members of the Commission
 The Commission will make its decision on
accreditation status during the executive session
AFTER THE VISIT

Disposition of Materials
 Team
members are reminded that the Evaluation
Report and the Self-Study Report as well as any
documents or working papers generated by the team
are confidential
 All copies not required by Commission policy for
document retention should be destroyed
 It is imperative that the site team members not discuss
this report with anyone outside of the Commission as
it would jeopardize the confidentiality of the
accreditation process
AFTER THE VISIT

Expenses
Expenses for meals and lodging, and travel are the
responsibility of the program, so please be mindful of
choices
 Out-of-pocket expenses should be entered on expense
vouchers or on forms required by the institutions visited, and
forwarded to the program administrator
 Once you have submitted your final report to the team
Chairperson, your responsibilities to both the Program and
the Commission for this assignment will have ended
 If you should be contacted by a representative of the host
institution or program with questions or comments, simply
refer the inquirer to the Commission office without further
involvement

CONCLUSION
Thank you for your time and commitment to
attend this training.
 Open Discussion and Questions
