Q:

When should we apply for accreditation?

A:

Programs are strongly encouraged to first contact the AVMA office to discuss the current status of the program. Evaluative site visits for new programs are generally conducted when the initial class has completed approximately 2/3 of the curriculum. Because site visits are scheduled more than one year in advance, programs are encouraged to apply for accreditation as soon as possible. If determined that a site visit within the next year or two is feasible, programs should submit the application form found in the Policies and Procedures Manual of the CVTEA. No payment and self-study are due along with this paperwork; however, it is important to secure a site visit date as soon as possible.

Q:

What expenses can be anticipated for accreditation?

A:

Programs are responsible for all costs of site team members associated with the site visit including, but not limited to, hotel expenses, airfare or mileage, meals, and rental car (if needed). Since the program is responsible for arranging the hotel and meal arrangements, costs vary from each site visit. During the evaluation site visit, AVMA staff will initially take care of the expenses for the team. Because of this, it is important that lodging and food arrangements are made with institutions that accept American Express credit cards. Eventually, all site visit travel, meals, lodging and associated expenses will be billed to the College. In addition, new programs are assessed a $2,500 application fee which is due along with your self-study report. This fee is above logistics costs mentioned above. Once all expenses have been collected following the site visit, an invoice is sent to the Program. Accredited programs are also assessed a $500 annual fee for subsequent years.

Q:

How long is a site visit?

A:

Site visits are three days in duration and occur on either a Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday or Wednesday/Thursday/Friday schedule. Students must be in session during the site visit and administrative personnel must be available. Please see the sample site visit agenda for start and end times. Site visits schedules are flexible and can be adjusted to allow for particular program needs; however, the AVMA office must approve agenda changes.

Q:

How long will it take to prepare the self-study report?

A:

A long time. Most programs report that preparing the self-study report consumed more than 40 clockable hours.

Q:

When is the self-study report due?

A:

Self-study reports for new programs are due 60 days (approximately 8 weeks) prior to the site visit. Reports for reaccreditation site visits are due 45 days (approximately 6 weeks) prior to the site visit. Because the self-study report deadline is based on the site visit date, please contact the AVMA office as soon as possible to secure a date.

Q:

How should we submit the self-study report?

A:

All Self-Study Reports should be:

1. Limited to 50 pages for the narrative section and 50 pages for the appendices. Course outlines may be submitted on CD-ROM or as a separate bound booklet.
2. Concise, yet complete. Please be judicious in the amount of material included in the report. (i.e.: CV's of faculty should be brief; feedback questionnaires should be summarized, faculty personnel policies should be brief).
3. Single-sided, double-spaced.
4. Page numbered (including appendices).
5. Sectioned by Standard, with each section and appendix separated by a tab. Tabs should be numbered by the Standard.
6. Spiral bound (GBC) with a soft cover. Please, no three-ring binders unless spiral binding is economically not feasible.

Q:

How is a site team formed?

A:

The evaluation team consists of five members:

• a Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) member, who serves as chair of the team;
• a state veterinary medical association representative who is a veterinarian;
• a veterinary technician representative;
• a public representative;
• and an AVMA staff member.

Program personnel are responsible for securing the public member and the veterinary technician representative. Confirming the availability of both individuals is the Program's responsibility. Public members may not be associated with the College, may not be veterinarians or veterinary technicians, or serve on the Program's advisory committee.

The veterinary technician member must be a graduate of an AVMA-accredited veterinary technology program and should be chosen by the state technician association, if at all possible. Only one individual needs to be identified. It is preferable that the veterinary technician member not be a graduate of the program; however, the CVTEA recognizes that graduates of other accredited programs may not be available and will accept graduates of the program being evaluated. The technician cannot be a member of the Program's advisory committee.

Site team members should be identified by the time the self-study report is due.

Q:

Are site team members paid?

A:

No stipend is provided to site team members. This is a volunteer job.

Q:

What happens after the site visit?

A:

After the site visit, the site team drafts a Report of Evaluation (ROE) based on their findings. Included in this report are recommendations for program improvement. A draft ROE is sent to the program director for an opportunity to review and comment on the content of the report. Following review by the program, the ROE is reviewed by the entire CVTEA during one of the biannual meetings. The full Committee deliberates on the recommendations and an accreditation decision is made. After the accreditation decision is made by CVTEA, the program is notified of the accreditation decision and is sent a final ROE containing recommendations.

Q:

What level of accreditation is available to us?

A:

Because the site visit is usually conducted before the first class has graduated, the classification of accreditation available is provisional accreditation. However, graduates of a provisionally accredited program are considered graduates of an AVMA-accredited program and therefore eligible to take the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE). Programs that already have graduates may be eligible for full accreditation following the initial site visit.

Q:

What assurances can we give students in initial classes that accreditation will be granted?

A:

Unfortunately, no assurance can be granted, and students must be clearly notified that although accreditation has been applied for, that does not assure accreditation.

Q:

If accreditation is granted, how long is it good for?

A:

New programs granted provisional accreditation may remain on provisional accreditation until achieving full accreditation, or for a period not to exceed five years. The evaluation process is repeated at five year intervals until a program has been fully accredited for two cycles, after which time site visits are conducted at six-year intervals. Once the Committee grants a favorable accreditation decree, the effective date is retroactive to the date of the last day of your site visit. The Committee reserves the right to change an accreditation status based on annual, biennial, or interim reports.