Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for ACAE
1. What does ACAE stand for ?
Short Response:
ACAE stands for the “Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education”.
Longer Response:
It also stands for quality, innovation and excellence in audiology education.
2. OK, what is ACAE accreditation?
Short Response:
We’re all about compliance with ACAE’s educational standards!
Longer Response:
Accreditation is the evaluation of an academic program’s compliance with
an accrediting body’s (i.e., ACAE’s) educational standards. ACAE
accreditation is voluntary, but once a program is accredited, it is a stamp of
approval highlighting quality and competence.
Equally important, accreditation is:
• A process of self and peer review for the improvement of academic
quality and public accountability.
• A process that upholds quality assurance and makes certain it is
maintained and strengthened.
3. Who should be interested in ACAE’s audiology accreditation and
education?
Short Response:
All stakeholders interested in hearing health and balance care, e.g., students,
educators, practicing clinicians, private practitioners, hearing industry AND
consumers.
Longer Responses: Three Important Stakeholders:
 STUDENTS: Audiology will be the professional life of students for
years to come and they need to assure themselves that it will be a
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lifetime of pride, competence, interest and high respect from
consumers and other health care professionals.
ACAE intends to raise-the-bar of academic programs, so that they
educate students at the highest level and graduate the most competent.
These students deserve a return on their investments of time and
money.
Also, in this age of health-care change, future audiologists must be
viewed as independent, unique providers of a necessary service.
There is no time to waste and students must feel confident that their
education moves in a forward-thinking and autonomous direction. An
ACAE accredited program can assure them of this.
 PRACTICING AUDIOLOGISTS: The reputation of the profession
depends on the competency of our members in the eyes of the public.
Practicing audiologists seeking to hire new partners correctly want the
most qualified graduates. Inadequately trained students cannot
compete for the best positions. Rigorous accreditation drives
programs to graduate fully competent professionals. This educational
foundation plays a major role in developing a strong, viable
profession that audiologists will take pride in for generations to come.
 CONSUMERS: Rigorous and exacting standards, such as those
ACAE advocates, signal to the public and marketplace high quality
care and outcomes. An audiologist’s education translates into patient
care. With excellence in education, it is more likely the consumer will
receive the reliable, efficient, cost-effective, high-quality care
deserved.
4. I understand ACAE has an integrated electronic process for
accreditation. What does this mean?
Short Response:
It means that academic programs will enter data and narrative information
about their university demographics, curriculum, students, faculty, clinical
settings and instructors and all operational resources in a secure, integrated
web-based system.
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Longer Response:
This efficient and consistent system will archive all program responses
permanently and be available to the program when updating is required for
annual /biennial reports and internal reviews.
5.What does accreditation involve?
Short Response:
Time and Study of the academic program by ACAE
Time and Self-Reflection of the faculty, students, senior university
administrators, and practicing clinicians affiliated with an academic
audiology program.
Longer Response:
 A complete self-study, data entry and/or portfolio process
 A peer-review
 A decision by an accrediting organization, i.e., ACAE, to accredit,
accredit with conditions or not accredit an institution or program.
6. How long does it take to complete ACAE’s online accreditation
process?
Short Response:
It can take 9 months to two years to complete the process.
Longer Response:
Every timeline is discussed and negotiated between ACAE and the
individual program. Most programs want to finish as quickly as possible
and endeavor to do this, but extenuating circumstances may delay the
process, dependent on the situation.
7. How often does accreditation take place?
Short Response:
Usually, 10 years for most institutional accreditors and 7 – 9 years for
specialized/programmatic accreditors. For ACAE, it is every 7 years.
Longer Response:
If ACAE determines it is necessary to conduct a site visit after 1-3 years
instead of 7, it will do so. Also, if substantive (critical) changes take place
in the program in between site visits, ACAE has the prerogative to conduct a
fact-finding visit at the time of the changes or whenever appropriate.
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8. How does ACAE foster continuous improvement in Audiology
education?
Short Response:
Fostering improvement in programs is one of ACAE’s major principles. It is
part of our DNA.
Longer Response:
ACAE works collaboratively and closely with programs undergoing the
accreditation process. We are rigorous gate-keepers of the ACAE
educational standards, but want to see programs succeed at the same time.
We study programs thoroughly and provide them with constructive,
investigative analyses during site visits. These analyses foster continuous
improvement. Our consistent feedback from programs that have undergone
ACAE accreditation is that this information is greatly appreciated.
ACAE underscores excellence in education and believes that many programs
strive to achieve this level of performance. ACAE found that programs are
proud of their accomplishments, especially student outcomes, but want to
make ongoing improvements and move to a higher level of success. ACAE
assists in this process.
9. What are the benefits of ACAE?
Short Response:
Here are 10 important benefits:
 Rigorous accreditation with exacting Standards, signaling high quality
care and outcomes to the public and marketplace.
 Continuous quality improvement and increased best practices
 Automatic access to categorized current and historical accreditation
data
 Innovative and interactive electronic partnership with academic
programs and other stakeholders
 Ability to enter online data once, update it as necessary, and have
permanent and immediate access to it
 Ability to provide national trends and analyses
 Constructive online and face-to-face interaction between academic
programs and ACAE
 Cooperative relationships with programs, resulting in improved
outcomes for students and the teaching environment
 Substantial reduction of resource utilization
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 Assurance to public that programs have been evaluated through a
rigorous verification process
10. How do I find our more about ACAE?
Short and Long Answer:
Visit us on our website, www.acaeaccred.org and learn more about us. Or
contact us at info@acaeaccred.org and ask for someone to speak with you.
You can also telephone the ACAE at 202-986-9500 or 703-226-1043.
Thank you!
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