I have been a site reviewer for CEA for nearly 10 years and gone on about 15 site visits in that time. I remember my first visit very clearly. When the first box of documents arrived in the mail, I wondered why the heck I had signed up for such a workload. I know the answer to that question now. I keep volunteering because in addition to contributing to the strength of my profession, being a site reviewer gives me some of the most significant professional development that I have ever experienced. As a reviewer, I get to know the sites that I visited on a level that is not possible in any other way.

Within the framework of the standards, I get to see how curricula were developed and implemented, how faculty were selected and evaluated, how students were recruited, taught, assessed and served outside the classroom. No two programs are ever alike, but over the years I have learned to look at the parts of a program and know exactly what I am looking at and how it relates to the standards. Reviewers are required to use their experience and professional judgment along with training provided by CEA to decide whether a program appears to meet the standards or not, to be the eyes and ears of the Commission.

With each visit my eyes and ears become sharper.When I was a program administrator, the experience of being a site reviewer gave me insights into my own program which were invaluable when we decided to seek accreditation. While we were cautioned not to take ideas from program visits and use them in our own, it was impossible not to form overall impressions over the years of what constitutes a good program and to use that knowledge as a gauge for my own. Yes, each time a site visit comes up, I question my sanity for volunteering, but at the end of each visit I was always know my own understanding of what makes a good program tick has deepened. It’s an experience that I highly recommend.

Kathleen Romstedt, Ph.D.

Ohio State University