It is a policy of AOA COCA to conduct a comprehensive survey review of its standards and procedures on an ongoing basis to assess the relevancy, clarity, and reliability of those standards and procedures. The most recent survey review began in the fall of 2008. An outside consultant assisted AOA COCA staff in developing a survey tool that directed survey participants to evaluate all standards in chapter 1 of Accreditation of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine: COM Accreditation Standards and Procedures. The survey focused on the standards' relevancy, clarity, and usefulness and gave participants an opportunity to provide open-ended comments regarding all standards. The responses were scored on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, with “1” indicating “not at all relevant,” “ not at all clear,” “definitely not,” or “not at all well,” and “5” indicating “very relevant,” very clear,” “yes definitely,” or “very well.” The questionnaire contained a total of 65 questions.
The consultant also developed correspondence to explain to participants and stakeholders the process and rationale for the standard survey and to encourage them to participate in the survey. Participants were invited to take part in the survey by means of e-mail. After the initial letter, periodic reminder e-mails were sent. Using the online survey tool, participants and stakeholders received a link directly to the survey tool, which could also be accessed from the AOA COCA Web site. The survey was active for 6 weeks. Of the approximately 200 participants that received the initial e-mail request, 82 completed the survey for a 41% response rate (assuming unique responses). The response rate for the 2008 survey was 20 percentage points higher than the 2005 survey.
The results of this survey (
Table 1) indicated that the standards were rated the highest with regards to relevancy (average, 4.4), followed by clarity to internal users (ie, COM personnel; average, 4.0). Ratings for the categories regarding clarity to external users and usefulness to AOA COCA evaluators were nearly equal or above the target score of 3.75. When averages across all standards were compared, Standard 7: Research scored lower than all other standards. In addition to standards, procedures pertaining to the self-study, substantive change, and branch campuses were also surveyed for clarity and usefulness to AOA COCA evaluators.
After compiling the results of the 2008 survey, AOA COCA staff developed a work plan and presented all of the survey data and analyses to the SRC for review at the spring 2009 AOA COCA meeting. The results of the analysis demonstrated high overall scoring in all parameters (
Table 1). On the basis of these results, the SRC adopted the proposed work plan for the standard review and revision process that would begin with those domains that scored less than 3.75 (1, lowest; 5, highest).
According to this work plan, Standard 7: Research, Standard 4: Faculty, and Standard 6: Curriculum would be the first 3 standards to be reviewed and revised because they had the lowest overall scores according the survey results. The SRC determined the next priority to be the handbook sections on procedures, including chapters 2, “Applicant and Accreditation Procedures”; 3, “The Self-Study Process”; 4, “On-site Visit Procedures”; 5, “Accreditation Procedures”; 6, “USDE Requirements”; and 7, “In the Public Interest,” because they had not been revised since January 2004. The final priority would be to review and revise the 4 standards that received the highest overall averages: Standard 1: Mission, Goals, and Objectives; Standard 2: Governance, Administration, and Finance; Standard 3: Facilities; Standard 5: Students; and Standard 8: Prerequisites for Accreditation. The work plan proposed that the SRC begin this process in June 2009.
At the December 2009 AOA COCA meeting, the SRC presented its proposed revisions to Standards 7, 4, and 6 and chapters 2, 3, 4, and 7 and requested that AOA COCA authorize the posting of the proposed revisions for public commentary and that all stakeholders be informed of this action. In January 2010, all stakeholders were notified by e-mail of this action and were directed to the AOA COCA Web site, where the proposed revisions were posted. All comments were directed to the AOA COCA assistant secretary, and a Standards Forum was scheduled for March 2010.
The Standards Forum took place on March 6, 2010. In a day-long meeting, participants discussed each of the proposed changes to the standards and procedures. The group proposed additional changes as a result of this discussion and, by the end of the meeting, reached consensus regarding the proposed changes. The proposed revised standards and procedures were presented at the AOA COCA meeting in May 2010. The AOA COCA voted to approve the proposed changes to Standards 4, 6, and 7 and chapters 2, 3, 4, and 7. These changes became effective on July 1, 2010.
In addition to the revisions to the standards and procedures that were implemented as a result of the standards survey of 2008, revisions were initiated and completed in the spring of 2010 to be in compliance with the USDE's final rule on the federal regulation “Institutional Eligibility Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended, and the Secretary's Recognition of Accrediting Agencies,” which was issued October 27, 2009.
11 A first draft of proposed revisions to address the final rule were prepared and shared with AOA COCA at its meeting in December 2009. Staff presented 4 questions and a work plan for accomplishing the revisions and making them effective by the mandated July 1, 2010, deadline. Changes were required primarily in chapter 5, “Accreditation Procedures,“ and chapter 6, “USDE Requirements.” New terms were also added to the glossary and 2 changes were made to chapter 1, “Standards.” These changes went through a legal review by the AOA general counsel and the SRC. Stakeholders were notified by e-mail that revisions were posted on the AOA COCA Web site for commentary. At the May 2010 AOA COCA meeting, the revisions to the standards from the USDE final rule were approved, and the changes became effective on July 1, 2010.
In the fall of 2012, AOA COCA will conduct a new survey of all standards and procedures in Accreditation of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine: COM Accreditation Standards and Procedures. A survey tool similar to that used in 2008 will be used to gather information from stakeholders regarding the relevancy, clarity, and reliability of all standards and procedures used in the accreditation of COMs. Although all standards will be assessed, some attention will be focused on the standards that were not changed during the 2008 review to ensure that they remain at a high level of relevancy, clarity, and reliability.