With the School of Dentistry’s accreditation site visit – on April 12-14, 2005 – fast approaching, I wanted to take the opportunity of this Dean’s Letter to update alumni, faculty, students and staff on the status of our accreditation visit preparation, and to share with you some more information about what the accrediting body will be looking for during the course of its visit.

Accreditation Preparation

Dorothy Perry, Assistant Dean for Curricular Affairs, is leading the school’s accreditation preparation. She heads the Accreditation Steering Committee, which is in the process of preparing the self-study documents. Members of the committee will meet with a pair of consultants this coming fall to finalize those documents. The consultants will also tour school facilities, review patient care services, analyze goals and outcome measures, and help the committee strategize on the best approach for the final few months leading up to the site visit.

CODA’s Charge

Every seven years, the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) visits each U.S. dental school to ensure that it is meeting established standards for dental education institutions. According to the website of the American Dental Association (ADA), CODA’s mission “…is to serve the public by establishing, maintaining and applying standards that ensure the quality and continuous improvement of dental and dental-related education and reflect the evolving practice of dentistry.”

The site visit allows the CODA-appointed team to assess the school’s compliance with both the accreditation standards as well as with our own stated goals and objectives. The site visit complements the information that we will be presenting to CODA in the comprehensive self-study document.

Upon completion of the site visit, the CODA team presents the school with a list of ‘Commendations’ and ‘Recommendations.’ Commendations are obviously a list of things the school is doing well with respect to areas of its mission. Recommendations are areas where, in the opinion of CODA, the school has not sufficiently complied with Accreditation Standards. In such cases, evidence of compliance with the cited standards must be demonstrated within two years.

Positives of the Accreditation Process

The entire process of preparing for accreditation can have a positive impact on the school. It is a time for self-examination, during which we review our approaches to teaching, patient care, outcomes and facilities, and ensure that we are still maintaining fidelity to our mission. Only through close self-analysis can we hope to effect change. For this reason, we take the accreditation process very seriously, and view the current phase of self-study as one in which we can honestly review our performance and strategize for the future.

Benefits of a Positive Site Visit

Any areas resulting in a commendation from CODA can have a positive impact on the school for years. There are several fortuitous results that can arise from a favorable site visit:

• Positive public perception. The American Dental Association website lists the current accreditation status of all dental schools. Being listed as an accredited institution engenders confidence amongst not only current faculty, staff and students, but also prospective students, faculty recruitments, patients and alumni.
  
  
• Cost savings. By avoiding receiving CODA recommendations, the dental school does not have to expend time and money correcting perceived shortcomings. It could take an institution two years (or longer, if an institution is placed on continuing reporting status) and an estimated $100,000, in both real and opportunity costs, to correct the areas that receive recommendations. Faculty and staff workload would increase, as cited areas would need to be rectified in a timely manner.
  
  
• Morale boost. Commendations are a positive reflection on the school, and should be celebrated by all faculty, staff, students and alumni.
  
  
• Positive effects on alumni/donors. A successfully accredited institution sends a signal to alumni and other donors that they are in full compliance with nationwide standards, and that they are doing a wonderful job of educating the next generation of oral health care practitioners.

I truly feel that the Accreditation process should be viewed as a positive exercise. It gives us the opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments and promote change and growth. If you have questions about accreditation, please contact Dr. Perry or me.