Tips and Suggestions for Conducting a Successful Site Visit Created by: Christopher Schmidt, PhD, ATC, Azusa Pacific University, with special thanks to Vicky R Bowden, DNSc, RN, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Programs, WASC Accreditation Liaison Officer, Azusa Pacific University, and Laura Palusso, Office of the President, Azusa Pacific University Secure site visit dates (between Oct and Feb 15) a Work with site visit team to determine fall or spring visit b Avoid institutional/US holidays or major institutional events c Consider schedules and availability of administrators, faculty, preceptors, clinical sites i Make certain that the CEO and other key members of the administration and faculty are available during the entire visit Visit and travel logistics a Provide site visit team with recommendations regarding airport and hotel, and whether a rental car will be necessary or if program personnel will be providing transportation during the visit i Site visitors are responsible for all travel reservations and related costs b At the hotel i Provide a team packet, including: A copy of the schedule for the visit, including any last-minute changes Maps of the local area, campus map and parking locations, recommended restaurants and locations Contact information for key staff members available in case of questions or problems with meeting rooms, computer equipment, etc., including room/office location, campus telephone extensions, and cell phone numbers 24-hour contact numbers for key personnel, including those responsible for handling schedule changes and other matters Transportation arrangements (if applicable) between the hotel and campus each day and the airport on the final day of the visit Transportation and parking while on campus (if applicable) a Parking location and parking pass/permit Menus from which to order meals that the team will have brought to them in the team meeting room (working lunch on day and day 2) ii Basic refreshments and office supplies – examples: paper, pens, water, juice, trail mix, chocolate, gum/mints Check with site visit team about preferences for snacks/drinks or dietary restrictions c Team meeting space on campus i Ensure availability, security, and privacy of this space throughout the visit Consider covering windows for privacy (if applicable, e.g., glass wall conference room) Ensure access is limited to key personnel only (re-key locks if applicable) Confer with site visit team regarding special needs (handicap access) ii Ensure internet and network access during visit iii Work with site visit team regarding need for PC or Mac computer access (e.g., backup laptop), flash drives, printer Have IT staff available the morning of day to setup computers, enable internet access iv Office supplies (paper pads, scratch paper, pencils and pens, stapler, paper clips, post-it notes) v Snacks/drinks/coffee service in meeting space Reset during the day with fresh snacks/drinks Confer with site visit team about preferences for snacks/drinks or dietary restrictions vi Telephone and contact list of key personnel vii Key documents in the team room Refer to CAATE document “Materials That Must Be Provided On-Site At Time of Site Visit” Organize documents by Standard, cross reference to the self-study Consider providing a flash drive (PC or Mac) to each team member with these documents already loaded viii Other meeting space tips and suggestions Make sure rooms have been decluttered, cleaned Be sure restrooms are clean and tidy Consider a work order to request special cleaning for areas to be used Visit meeting space hour prior to check for readiness, dining services arrival and set-up, etc d Meals (site visit team only - no institutional or program personnel; site visitors are responsible for all incidental costs) i Breakfast - typically available at the hotel ii Lunch Working lunch on day and day a Order from on-campus dining services and brought to team meeting space, or b Pick up before/after off-campus site visits and brought back to team meeting space Following exit conference on day a Box lunch to eat on way to/at airport iii Dinner - at hotel or local restaurant using program recommendations Site visit agenda a Refer to sample agendas available from the CAATE b Exit conference – invite key administrators, faculty, preceptors, and/or students Be strategic – use this time to get buy-in or as a thank you to these individuals c Showcase the institution, school, department, and AT program i Use faculty or students as on-campus walking guides/hosts/escorts so the team does not have to navigate the campus alone and risk being lost or arriving late ii Highlight student/faculty accomplishments through poster sessions/displays of student works iii Send campus wide emails to communicate about the visit iv Send roster/bios of site visit team to administrators, faculty, preceptors, students ahead of interviews d Other tips and suggestions for creating a successful agenda and conducting quality meetings i Avoid having too many meetings with large groups (e.g., more than eight) ii Schedule time in the team room for team members between meetings with campus groups or individuals iii Schedule breaks for the team iv Include the location of each meeting on the final schedule v Provide the team with a list of institutional representatives (name and title) expected at each meeting (see CAATE document “Individuals Interviewed Onsite”) Provide nametags for all interviewees or use placards with names in large print vi Help keep the team on schedule by reminding the team of the scheduled beginning and end of meetings vii Allow time as needed between meetings for the members to walk to the next meeting location On large campuses, assign persons to escort team members to their next appointments viii Allow time as needed to travel to/from off-campus sites For programs with a large number of sites, the team may split up and visit sites individually ix Expect a few adjustments to the schedule and requests for additional documents Be ready with staff to implement these requests x If possible, organize a dress rehearsal or “talk-through” prior to the visit to ensure the schedule flows well and that you are ready for any unexpected anomalies DISCLAIMER: The tips and suggestions presented here are recommendations from the authors only and should be considered as such Further, they are not intended to represent the views or opinions of the CAATE or Azusa Pacific University Each institution referring to these tips and suggestions should so in light of their own culture and campus environment with respect for the institution’s autonomy, self-governance, and self-management