Timeline
Review visits are in the fall and spring and are scheduled in October or early November and in March or early April.
| Time Frame | Process Steps |
|---|---|
| 18 months before review visit | COA approves panelists for a specific review |
| 12 months before visit | Program clears panelists for conflicts of interest Panelists are invited to serve |
| 4 months before visit | ERP Chair assigns panelists responsibility for specific Standards Panelists review draft Self-study and provide feedback to ERP Chair to share with program |
| 6-8 weeks before visit | Panelists plan travel arrangements with guidance from ERP Chair Panel continues collaboration via conference calls or online discussion |
| 6 weeks before visit | Panelists receive Self-study directly from program Panelists read and analyze Self-study Panelists write draft of assigned section of ERP report before visit |
| Review visit | Panelists are generally on site from late Saturday through early Wednesday |
| 3 weeks after visit | Draft ERP report due |
| 5 weeks after visit | Final ERP report due |
External Review Panelist responsibilities and activities
- Be very familiar with the Standards for Accreditation and the Guidelines for the ERP (Section III, AP3)
- Participate in conference calls, online discussions, and scheduled meetings with entire panel
- Read entire Self-study (generally 100-200 pages in length)
- Analyze assigned portion of Self-study
- Write draft of assigned section of ERP report prior to site visit
- Gather evidence for assigned Standards
- Participate in all assigned activities while on site
- Complete assigned section of ERP report by deadline
Selection of panelists
A panel consists of two-five reviewers, including a chair. Panelists are selected for a specific review, and the panel as a whole must have a thorough understanding of the context of the program. The Office for Accreditation maintains a database of trained reviewers and their qualifications. The Office recommends potential panelists to COA for approval.
Considerations include, but are not limited to:
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Areas of expertise and experience
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Mix of practitioners and LIS educators
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Panelist experience – generally, only one inexperienced panelist is placed per panel
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Conflicts of interest
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Evaluations from previous reviews
Yes, I’d like to become an External Review Panelist
External Review Panelist required qualifications and application form
For more information, please contact Office for Accreditation staff at accred@ala.org.