Application Process

An Application can be submitted at any time.

The original of the completed application is sent to the Vice-Chair of the Accreditation Council.  The application, including the application form, the profile data sheet and support documents in appendices  should be emailed and the Affirmation of Facts form  should be mailed in a manner (e.g. US Postal Service - Certified or Federal Express) that requires a signature upon receipt. 

Applications will be reviewed by the Vice-Chair of the Accreditation Council to ensure that the application is technically complete.  If not complete, the applicant will be notified by email that there is a specific omission(s). An application for accreditation will not proceed until the applicant has submitted all required materials, including the Affirmation of Facts form and the submission of the application fee. An applicant can voluntarily withdraw from the review process at any point.  Once all the documentation and fees have been received, the application is sent to the review team by the Vice-Chair of the Accreditation Council.

Once an application is sent to the review team, the review team will work with the applicant to set up and complete a site-visit and submit a report and recommendation to the Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education to be decided through a vote of the Board Members.  The accreditation process should take 6 months.  The Vice-Chair will keep the applicant informed on application status. To summarize, the process involves the formation of a Review Team, a site visit by the Team, the preparation of a report by the Review Team, and a final determination on granting accreditation by the Accreditation Council of Cooperative Education.

The Accreditation Council has the sole authority to grant accreditation. This recognition is awarded when a program is judged to be in substantial compliance. Normally, accreditation is granted for a six-year period.

The Vice-Chair of the Accreditation Council will send a letter to each applicant that announces the outcome of the decision regarding accreditation. This letter will be sent within 30 days of when the Accreditation Council meets to consider review team recommendations and votes on granting accreditation.

The accreditation period begins upon receipt of the notification letter and extends to December 31 of the sixth year. For example, a six-year accreditation granted on October 1, 2002 will expire, unless a program is reaccredited, on December 31, 2008.  An accreditation fee is charged which can be paid in a lump sum or annually.