Programmatic Accreditation Onsite Visitation
The following is to provide an overview of a typical onsite visitation.
Welcome
HVAC Excellence accreditation team members will arrive at the pre-scheduled time to conduct the one-day onsite review of the program.
Although this will typically be at 7:30 a.m., specific schedules may vary.
Morning Conference
The morning conference is an opportunity for the accreditation team members to meet with the HVACR faculty, school administration, and other personnel they plan on meeting that day.
As many of the school members have not worked directly with HVAC Excellence, this provides an opportunity for questions and for accreditation team members to provide a detailed overview
of their planned schedule for the day. Upon conclusion of this session, the onsite team will split up. One will spend the day with the school administration verifying Standards 1-4,
while the other will spend the day with HVACR faculty to verify Standards 5-9.
Interview the School Administrator
It is imperative for a member of the onsite team to meet with the school administrator and members of their staff. The school administrator often knows of issues that may affect the school
(I.E. a bond issue leading to a new building), and how these changes can affect the HVACR program in the future.
Interview Student Services
An accreditation team member will meet with student services to learn more about: the pre-admission procedures, how student medical information is recorded, accommodations for special need
students, student counseling, review student transcripts, school to work transition, and employment follow up procedures.
Interview Financial Services
A member of the onsite team will visit with the financial services department to learn about: student fees, the annual HVACR program budget and how it is formulated.
Review Standards with Instructor
A member of the accreditation team will review all of the standards, and examine most recent roll book, safety check sheets, advisory meeting minutes and agendas, curriculum updates and
other items as requested.
Visit Instructor's Office
An accreditation team member will visit the instructor offices and verify they have a separate space where they can meet privately with students to discuss their individual progress.
Meet with the Program Advisory Committee
The accreditation team will want to meet with members of the program advisory committee to learn how the program is meeting the needs of the community.
Student Interviews
The purpose in meeting with students is to discuss the program and verify there is an adequate supply of equipment and tools for them to work effectively and efficiently in a laboratory setting.
Visit the Laboratory
The laboratory will be inspected to validate the program has current equipment and tools to satisfy the needs of stated curriculum.
Exit Interview
Once the accreditation team members have completed their onsite review, they will meet with the HVACR faculty and school administration to present their findings. These findings will be
part of their official team visitation report. The HVAC Excellence accreditation review board will use this report as part of the determination process as whether or not to grant accreditation
of the program and for how many years.
* The re-accreditation process can vary, as some programs may qualify for virtual or hybrid re-accreditation visits.