VCU 2018

August 3, 2018

NASPAA Site Visitor Training

NASPAA and Accreditation

To ensure excellence in education and training for public service and to promote the ideal of public service

• Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA)
• Formative and evaluative process for master's degrees in public service
• NASPAA Standards Emphasize:
• Public Service Values
• Mission and Outcomes
• Strategic program management

Goals of the Training

• Orient new site visitors to NASPAA Accreditation,
• Provide an understanding of the NASPAA Standards, and
• Prepare new site visitors to serve on a NASPAA Site Visit Team.

Accreditation Process

For programs continuously evaluating and assessing program success, the strategic program management facilitated by accreditation is ongoing. The formal dialogue with NASPAA typically begins in preparation for the Self-Study Report, at least a year in advance of the deadline. For site visitors, the dialogue begins in late Fall.

Site Visit & Report

Site Visit Preparations

Final Decision

Self-Study Report

Interim Report

Decision Letters mailed: July

COPRA responds: November

Submitted by programs: August 15

2.5 day visits throughout the Spring; evidence-based report prepared post-visit

Teams are matched, proposed, and conflict-checked: November-December

Role of the Site Visit

On-the-Ground

Exercises: Let's Dig In!

Site Visits are critical to the (peer-based) accreditation process. They allow the program to more fully demonstrate conformance and the Team to:

Be thinking about how the site visit team can:

For what is the Team looking?

• Does the program's mission statement guide its goals and activities? (Standard 1)
• Is the program meeting its goals? Engaging in ongoing continuous, strategic improvement? (Standard 1)
• How does the program use student learning assessment to improve its outcomes? (Standard 5)
• With what competencies do the program's students graduate? (Standard 5) Are they employable? (Standard 4)
• How are faculty and students supported, including re: internships and job placement? (Standards 2, 3, 4)
• How does the program promote diversity and a climate of inclusiveness? (Standards 3 and 4)
• Are the program's resources appropriate to its goals? (Standard 6)
• Is the program accountable to its stakeholders? (Standard 7)

• Approach the same topic with different stakeholders?
• Ask inquiring, not judging, questions?
• Support the program's growth?
• Review documentation related to questions?
• Which Data sources?
• Prepare the Final Report?
• Document findings?
• Communicate concerns (and not concerns)?

• Confirm and clarify the program's mission, goals, activities, program evaluation, and student learning assessment.
• Site Visitors are COPRA's eyes and ears - its inquiring arm
• Understand the program's unique context.
• Provide evidence to COPRA to evaluate the program against the NASPAA Standards and its own stated goals and objectives (site visit report).
• Make no judgment or evaluation.
• Use program practices and data as foundation for understanding.
• Contribute, Learn, Invest, and Connect!

The Site Visit Report

Preparation

Before each visit:

• Document the visit: records reviewed, conversations facilitated - use your notes.
• Respond to all COPRA questions, indicate level of concern.
• Include only information relevant to the Standards.
• Provide evidence -- make no evaluations or assessments.
• Draft the report within 30 days of the visit, using the NASPAA Data Center.
• Incorporate program edits into the report, as appropriate, and submit the report to COPRA .
• Include commendations and recommendations.

• Review Official Standards and Policies, including the Site Visit Manual
• Review and Manage Program Documents
• Self-Study Report
• Interim Report and response
• Coordinate with Site Visit Chair
• Primary responsibilities and required evidence
• Site Visit schedule, stakeholder meetings
• Prepare questions and observations
• Understand COPRA Priorities (liaison)

The Site Visit Team

Each team consists of three experts:

Chair

• Academic with thorough understanding of Standards
• Has completed at least 2 site visits

Academic

• Associate level professor or above, from an accredited program
• Understanding of public service program management

Practitioner

• Related graduate degree
• 7+ years in the field of public service
• Appropriate Adjunct for the program
• External viewpoint of "consumer"

What evidence can be documented and presented to COPRA?

Final Steps

Complete All Trainings

Site Visit Preparation

Site Visit Expenses

Site Visitors should:

You are expected to exercise the same care in incurring expenses during the site visit that a prudent person would exercise if traveling on personal business.

• Watch all training videos.
• Attend a NASPAA Site Visit Training, in-person or online.
• Retrain every 5 years.
• Send NASPAA staff a current CV or resume, indicating language proficiencies.
• Review official NASPAA documents: Accreditation Standards, Self-Study Instructions, COPRA Policy Statements, and Site Visit Manual.

• All reasonable expenses are reimbursable
• Provide all receipts
• Expense Voucher available on website.
• E-Submit to NASPAA, not the program.

• Master all program materials (self-study report, appendices, interim report, interim report response) in the NASPAA Data Center.
• Connect with site visit chair on specific responsibilities while on the visit and when drafting the report.
• Draft questions for meetings with various program stakeholders, based on your responsibilities.
• Coordinate travel, visas with team (and program).

November-January

January-April

Well-prior to Visit

30 days prior to Visit

60 days post-Visit

Program Matches

The Site Visit and Report

Two and one-half days during the spring semester

• NASPAA staff match (and perform conflict of interest checks) site visitors to programs in late November/December, of each year.
• The program and team finalize dates and travel needs no later than 30 days prior to the visit.
• The site visit chair liaises with the program, team, and COPRA to determine site visit goals and schedule.

• Focus on Mission and Public Service Values.
• Seek evidence to address questions of conformance.
• Review records of program evaluation and assessment, as well as other documents (admissions, meeting minutes, etc.), as relevant.
• Meet with students, faculty, professional staff, university administrators (provost, dean), alumni, advisory board, external stakeholders (employers).
• Draft the report within 30 days of the visit, using the NASPAA Data Center.
• Incorporate program factual edits into the report, as appropriate, and submit the report to COPRA.

Final Thoughts

Thank you!

We look forward to matching you to a site visit in upcoming cohorts!

Please remember to watch all training videos & email your current CV or resume to hamilton@naspaa.org to be included in our volunteer pool.

• The site visit is a collegial activity designed to be formative for programs and, thereby, the profession and public service.
• Collegiality on the visit does not indicate a positive decision.
• Respect the norms of the program, but avoid accepting large gifts or other perceived conflicts of interest.
• Teams are matched so expertise can be shared - it is a crucial aspect of the formative aspect.
• Yet, every program is different - just because your program does something one way, does not mean every program should. Facilitate conversations - probe for evidence - do not impose answers.
• The Team does not speak for COPRA, it reports evidence to COPRA.
• Site Visitors are entirely neutral and free of conflicts of interest.
• The site visit report is only ONE piece of the accreditation puzzle. The program has an opportunity to address the content of the report outside of the site visit process.
• Confidentiality is key. Please respect the confidence of the program and do not share specific details of the visit.