Instructions for Candidacy Visit

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. acknowledges the importance to a considerable number of institutions, old and new, and not now members of the Association, of obtaining affiliation with the Association as they work toward evaluation for membership and accreditation. Under normal circumstances a school seeking affiliation with the Association will first go through the Candidate for Accreditation process.

Institutions desiring Candidate status with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges must file an application on a form prescribed by the Commission on Independent Schools. Upon receipt of the application, the Director of the Commission will assess a Candidate Evaluation Fee equal to the annual membership fee for a school with that enrollment.

A small committee is appointed by the Director of the Commission and is supplied with copies of the report filed by the school as part of its application. The committee conducts an on-site visit, ordinarily of one day, to verify the information in the report. This committee prepares a written report for the school and for the Commission on Independent Schools and provides, in a separate letter, a recommendation to the Commission as to the acceptance of the school into the Candidate category. The Commission makes its recommendation to the Board of Trustees whose action is final. Expenses of the visiting committee are borne by the school being evaluated for Candidate Status.

Role of the Visiting Committee

One person is identified as the Chair of the visiting committee and that leadership responsibility is similar to that of the Chair of the visiting committee in a comprehensive initial or decennial evaluation. The differences in the two visits are that in the candidacy visit the team is smaller (2 or 3 persons), the duration of the visit is shorter (one day), and the committee focuses on the candidacy report and its attachments.

The committee Chair does not normally visit the institution prior to the scheduled candidacy visit. The Chair, however, should contact members of the committee to make arrangements for the visit and schedule the day. The head of the school should be contacted by the Chair in advance of the visit to create a schedule for the visit.
 

The Visit

Because the visit is brief, it is essential to make the most efficient use of the available time. The schedule should provide time for:

• An initial meeting of the committee
• A tour of the school
• Classroom visits
• Interviews of some faculty and staff
• An extended session with the head of school
• Time for the committee to caucus and draft the report

Prior to leaving the institution, written drafts of sections of the Report must be submitted to the Chair for editing and review. Compiling the final draft of the report is the responsibility of the Chair.

The Report

The report of the visiting committee should focus on the Candidate for Accreditation Report which was completed by the institution and submitted to the Commission. There should be a brief narrative on each of the sections, and strengths and areas of concern should be noted. The purpose of the report is to guide the school in preparing for full accreditation. The report should identify areas which require attention in order to meet the Standards and should make recommendations, if appropriate. The sections are as follows:

I. Corporate Status
II. Mission
III. Student Body
IV. Faculty
V. Program
VI. Governance
VII. Administrative Organization
VIII. Institutional Issues
IX. Overall Assessment

The visiting committee should also submit a letter making a recommendation to the Commission. An institution that meets the criteria and appears ready to work toward evaluation for membership and accreditation should be recommended for affiliation as a Recognized Candidate for Accreditation. Note that this status means that a school is ready to work toward accreditation, but not that it meets all of the Standards for Accreditation at this time. Recognition as a Candidate for Accreditation is not to be confused with membership in or accreditation by the Association.

The Exit Interview

It is appropriate for the committee to meet with the head of the school prior to departing. Many chairs find it good practice to explain, in condensed form, the contents of the committee report. It is important that both the content and tone of the exit interview be consistent with the written report which will be submitted to the Commission. The Chair should not discuss the committee’s recommendation regarding Candidacy and should explain that it is the decision of the Commission to make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

Following the Visit

When the visit is completed, the Chair of the visiting committee will complete and edit the written report. Every effort should be made to submit a report that is scrupulously fair and factually accurate to assist the school in moving forward toward accreditation and to assist the Commission in making decisions. As soon as possible following the visit, the Chair will forward the written report, the written recommendation, and all expense vouchers to the Director of the Commission at the offices of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The Commission will forward a copy of the report to the school for comment prior to action by the Commission.

When the visiting committee Report is submitted to the Commission, the committee's assignment is completed.