About the Accreditation Process

 

What is Accreditation and Why is it Important?

Accreditation is a status that provides assurance to prospective students, their families and the general public that an insitution (or a program) meets minimum requirements (i.e., Accreditation Standards) and that there are reasonable grounds to believe the institution (or program) will continue to meet those standards in the future.

• Accreditation is assurance that a respiratory care program meets the quality standards established by the profession.
• Accreditation helps students and their parents choose quality respiratory care programs.
• Accreditation enables employers to recruit graduates they know are well-prepared.
• Accreditation is used by registration, licensure, and certification boards to screen applicants.
• Accreditation gives higher education institutions a structured mechanism to assess, evaluate, and improve the quality of their programs.

CLICK HERE to download The Value of Accreditation.  This document was developed by regional, national and programmatic accrediting organizations and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). 

 

Nature and Scope of CoARC Accrediting Activity

The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) is the sole nationally recognized authority for the accreditation of first professional degree programs in respiratory care.  CoARC’s mission is to serve the public by promoting high quality respiratory care education through accreditation services. 

CoARC and its sponsoring organizations cooperate to establish, maintain, and promote educational standards of quality to prepare individuals for respiratory care practice, and to provide recognition for degree-granting, postsecondary educational programs that meet the minimum requirements outlined in the Accreditation Standards for the Profession of Respiratory Care (the “Standards”). 

The accreditation process is voluntary and is initiated only at the request of an institution that meets the criteria for sponsorship as identified in the Standards.  The CoARC conducts a comprehensive review of the program relative to these Standards.  Accreditation decisions are based on the CoARC’s review of information contained in the accreditation application and self-study report, the report of site visit evaluation teams, the annual report, and any additional requested reports or documents submitted. 

Programs that have successfully undergone the review process are granted accreditation status by CoARC, which provides public recognition of achievement. The CoARC Board has final decision-making authority for all accreditation actions.