1. SPORT MANAGEMENT ACCREDITATION ACCREDITATION PROCESS OVERVIEW
FEBRUARY 3, 2017
In today's training session, we will review the basic steps of the accreditation process, the eight principles of accreditation that comprise the self-study, and the site visit process. And, most importantly, we will discuss any questions you have about your specific programs. In all of the training sessions I do, I highly encourage you to ask any and all questions.

2. Philosophy of the COSMA Accreditation Model
Outcomes based/Mission driven
Accreditation principles based on best practices in SM education
Developmental – annual reporting focused on continuous improvement
Flexible – accommodates various institutional models and innovative approaches
The philosophy behind the COSMA accreditation model, as many of you know, is a focus on outcomes, not inputs. And it is based on principles, not standards. Standards can be relatively arbitrary or provide an arbitrary cut-off point, while principles measures outcomes and learning processes. Another way to put this is that COSMA accreditation is mission-driven – your specific institutional and program-level mission will impact the interpretation of the COSMA principles. The principles themselves are based on best practices in sport management education. The process is a developmental one – each year, members who have achieved candidacy status or who are accredited are required to submit an annual report. I have seen huge changes in programs from the beginning of this process to when they are being reviewed by the Board of Commissioners to beyond becoming accredited. The process catalyzes changes for the better for these programs – and I have seen so much positive development in what these programs are doing and how they are doing it. I often recommend that prospective members talk to programs who are accredited to get a sense of what they have been through and what was most worthwhile about the process. If you are interested in this, let me know by .
Last, without arbitrary standards, the COSMA principles allow a variety of programs to go through the process: small, large, new, established, housed in any college, traditionally run or all online or a hybrid, etc.

3. Benefits of Accreditation
Dedicated staff
Free training, assistance
Best practices - templates, rubrics
External accountability, assurance of quality
Enhanced reputation
Effective mechanism for continuous improvement
Mechanism for program advocacy
The benefits of accreditation are many:
First, you have access to me – a dedicated staff person. You can attend free training, such as this one, and have accreditation assistance whenever you need it. Just send me an or call me.
We collect information on best practices and provide some templates to guide you and other examples such as sample rubrics.
COSMA accreditation provides your program with a mechanism for external accountability – something beyond your individual college or university setting.
Accredited programs enjoy an enhanced reputation and when students and their parents ask me – is such and such a program accredited? I tell them yes or no and what accreditation means and what questions they can or should ask during interviews with prospective programs.
External assurance of quality – the process of COSMA accreditation will push you to have the best program you can.
As I mentioned before, the annual report process and the accreditation process itself acts as an effective mechanism for continuous improvement
And, very importantly, this process can be a mechanism for program advocacy. For example, and I’ve seen this happen a few times, faculty might carry heavy teaching loads that puts a strain on the quality of the program or does not allow for much innovation and change in the program. These points are picked up by the site review team and the Board of Commissioners and the program is asked to find ways to lighten faculty load. This “note” by the Commissioners can result in the hiring of additional faculty or the reallocation of resources to the SM program.

4. Eligibility for COSMA Accreditation
Includes both undergrad (20% SM content) and graduate programs (50% SM content)
Typical disciplinary areas e.g., sport management, sport administration, etc.
Academic unit should be an identifiable entity and led by a doctorally- or professionally-qualified educator
While normally offered through the SM department, some SM programs housed in other areas
All modes of delivery and locations (off-campus) should be included (online, distance learning, adult degree, accelerated)
Before you start down the path of COSMA accreditation, it is important that you understand which programs are eligible for COSMA accreditation and how that is defined. As a basic rule, programs are considered to be “sport management programs” if their content is such that 20 percent or more of the total credit hours required for an undergraduate degree, or 50 percent or more of the total credit hours required for a graduate degree are in the traditional areas of sport management education. There are some “typical” disciplinary areas that are considered to be the “traditional areas of sport management education.” They include: sport management, sport administration, sport marketing, sport business, athletic administration, event management, sport finance, sport leadership, and sport law. Programs located outside of the sport management department may also be included in the accreditation process and any mode of delivery of a sport management program must be included.

5. Eligibility for COSMA Accreditation
Notify COSMA if a new program is created/added
Program must provide rationale for what is included and what is not included in accreditation process
Course content
Operational control
Distinguish and differentiate programs
Cooperative/partnership arrangements
Marketing: “appearance” of being accredited
In addition, all sport management tracks, minors, concentrations, off-campus locations, and online programs are covered in this process. And, you should update COSMA about any plans you have to develop new programs, which we need to know in order to properly incorporate them into the accreditation renewal process. You always have the opportunity to provide a rationale for excluding programs or particular tracks or minors. If a program “appears” to be accredited by COSMA – meaning that it is listed on the same web page with the other programs or it overlaps significantly in coursework – it either must be included in the process or a rationale must be provided as to why it is not included.

6. Steps to Accreditation
Membership application & fee
Attain Candidacy Status (CS)
Collect data and begin writing Self Study
Establish timeline for site visit
Complete Self Study (at least 90 days prior to site visit)
Site visit (2 days)
Decision by Board of Commissioners (February/September of each year)
The accreditation process is comprised of these steps:
First, Membership. This includes submitting basic information about your program and the annual membership fee of $1,800. I prorate this fee, depending on when you join.
Second, Candidacy Status – I will go into more detail into this step very soon.
Third – writing the self study
Fourth – Establishing the timeline for the site visit – the self study must be submitted at least 90 days prior to the site visit. And, the site visit must occur at least 90 days prior to one of the two face-to-face meetings of the Board of commissioners. So, if the Board is meeting in late May, your site visit needs to occur no later than late February, and you must submit your self study no later than late November of the previous year.
Fifth – the site visit which is usually led by two reviewers and lasts two days.
Last, an accreditation decision by the Board of Commissioners (either in February/September of each year). 6

7. Annual Membership Dues
$1,800/year for Program Membership
Covers all degree programs
Pro-rated quarterly
for $30/year for Individual Membership
Eligible to vote in elections
May serve as site reviewer, BOC/BOD member
Annual membership fees for institutions are $1,800 and the fiscal year runs from July 1 – June 30. As I said, I will prorate that fee on a quarterly basis. The annual membership fee for individuals is $30 per year and those members may act as site reviewers or be on the Board of Commissioners or Board of Directors and vote at the Annual Membership Meetings.

8. Step One: Membership
Apply online ( forms.html) or download the form to mail in.
Pay annual dues
Show proof of regional/national accreditation (U.S. institutions) or entity that authorizes degree granting (non- U.S. institutions)
Provide basic enrollment information on programs
Signature of CEO
BOC member assignment
To become a member of COSMA, you fill out and submit a membership form and pay the fee. Part of this form is to show proof of your institution’s regional accreditation and you also need the signature from your CEO that they acknowledge and support going through the process. 8

9. Step Two: Candidacy Status
Purpose: To provide your academic unit/sport management program an opportunity to prepare itself for the development of a Self Study and have a site visit
Build overall confidence and understanding in the accreditation process – BOC member assigned
Normally will not exceed five years
Submit: Program overview, outcomes assessment plan (use template), links to industry, letter of support from administration, catalog, organizational chart
The purpose of CS is to give you time to develop your self-study and prepare for a site visit from a team appointed by COSMA. The candidacy process is designed to help you gain a deeper understanding of the accreditation process and save you time and effort in preparing the self-study. The bulk of information submitted in this process is the outcomes assessment plan. CS normally does not extend beyond 5 years. 9

10. Step Three: Self Study/Documentation of Accreditation Principles
Outcomes Assessment
Strategic Planning
Curriculum
Faculty
Scholarly & Professional Activities
Resources
Internal & External Relationships
Educational Innovation
These are the eight COSMA principles.

11. Self Study Organization
Volume 1 – Documentation of Accreditation Principles
Title Page
Table of Contents
Background Information
Documentation of Principles 1-8
Volume 2 – Appendices
Catalog (URL okay)
Abbreviated Syllabi
Faculty CVs (full- and part-time)
Outcomes Assessment Plan, Results, and Actions
Strategic Plan
Faculty Handbook
Use the following guidelines to organize your self study. Start with a Title Page: an example can be found in Figure 3 of the Appendix of the Principles manual. Include a Table of contents with page numbers.
In “Volume 1” of the Self Study, include a section called “Background Information.” In it, please:
Identify the name and title of each individual who participated in preparing the self study.
In one or two paragraphs, provide a brief history of the institution. You can also cite catalog page numbers where this is located.
In one or two paragraphs, provide a brief history of your sport management program.
List each sport management degree program for which you are seeking COSMA accreditation.
Describe any situations present at your institution that require a special understanding during the accreditation process. This could include any unforeseen changes to your faculty or curricula, new off-campus sites that are being established, new delivery methods being used (online or hybrid), new technology being incorporated, or changes made to your program as a result of writing the self study that are not documented in the self study.
Next include the documentation of the Accreditation Principles: This is what we covered primarily in this three part webinar series. And, a template is available on the COSMA website or me to get a copy.
“Volume 2” are the Appendices of your self-study. In this section, place materials that are too long or bulky to include in Volume 1 such as abbreviated course syllabi, faculty C/Vs, your institution’s catalog, the faculty handbook, longer documents that provide detailed information about your internship program or business and community linkages, as two examples.

12. Step Four: Site Visit Costs Scheduling
Site Visit Team Assignments; BOC Observer
Campus Coordinator role
Schedule
Materials
Evaluation and Follow-up
In preparing for the site visit, I will review with you the cost and scheduling so that everyone has plenty of time to prepare – those on-site and the site reviewers. In conjunction with the BOC, I will find a site visit team and you will indicate to me who is the campus coordinator or main contact person. You will develop a draft schedule for interviews, tours, and discussions and provide materials available to the site reviewers to aid in their validation of your self study. Last, you will be given the chance to provide feedback to me on the process and the site reviewers so that I can always make improvements.

13. Cost of a Site Visit Estimated total cost for two days/
two site reviewers - $3,800
Fixed costs:
Application fee: $1,200
Honorarium: $1,000
Variable costs:
Travel: $1,000
Food & Lodging: $600
The only other fees associated with COSMA accreditation are for the site visit. Fixed costs include the $1,200 administrative fee and the $1,000 honoraria for the two site reviewers – this is the total honorarium. The variable costs are estimated here but include travel, lodging, and food. So, the total can be less than what is estimated, depending on these variable costs. Site visits occur every 7 years. 13

14. Purpose of the COSMA Site Visit
Validates Self-Study
Peer review
Assistance in program improvement
“Outside” perspective
Foster reasonable consistency of reviews
Now, all of the preparation of your self study leads into preparation for the site visit. The purpose of the site visit is to validate the self study. Normally, the site visit lasts two days and consists of a two-person team. The visit might be longer or involve more reviewers if you have one or more satellite campuses and/or you have a number of programs that are administrated in a complex way. The length of the site visit and number of reviewers will be determined by the COSMA Board of Commissioners.
The site visit consists of meetings with key personnel, such as administrators, faculty, students, alumni, advisory board members, and the outcomes assessment coordinator (if applicable), and anyone else who plays a key role in your program. The site visit team will also take a tour of the physical facilities of your campus including sport management department faculty offices, classrooms, and libraries.
The site visit team writes a report that is submitted to COSMA headquarters (me). I write a summary of the report and send a copy to the primary representative (the person in charge of the accreditation process – this person is not always the department head), the institution's president and CAO or other top administrator. You respond to this report in writing. 14

15. Site Visit Assignments
Scheduled 3-4 months in advance
COSMA staff, BOC assign two person team
BOC observer (no cost to program)
Conditions
Avoid conflicts of interest
Balance and representation
Costs
The site visit is usually scheduled 3-6 months in advance. Usually, I know when a program is ready to submit their self study and I work with you on timing it most efficiently. The two-person site visit team is recruited and they are given the self study at least 90 days prior to the visit. In assigning the site reviewers, we consider the balance of representation of types of programs and institutions between the two reviewers and as they are similar and not similar to the program being reviewed; we try to find reviewers within a reasonable distance to the program without coming from a competitor program; and in general, we avoid conflicts of interest such as previous academic or personal relationships or business partnerships. I check with everyone before finalizing the site visit team to make sure that there are no conflicts of interest. In the case that there is, I find a replacement team member.

16. Expectations of Site Reviewers
The site visit will be conducted in strict accordance with all of the current COSMA published guidelines.
Confidentiality
The site visit team will not express any opinions as to whether accreditation will be granted.
The site visit team’s report will contain sufficient information to allow the BOC to make a fair and informed accreditation decision.
The site reviewers are held to the following expectations:
They must read your self-study report thoroughly before making the visit.
They must arrive on time at the site and work with the other site team member in a harmonious manner.
They should handle the site visit evaluation activities in a professional and expeditious manner.
They should complete the site visit assignment while at your institution and prepare a written report of the findings within two weeks of the site visit.
They should perform the site visit evaluation objectively, not letting personal bias interfere with the assignment.
The site team members play a key role in maintaining the integrity of the COSMA accreditation process. Accordingly, all members of the team, before accepting an assignment, must agree to avoid impropriety, to avoid being partial, to refrain from inappropriate activity, and to preserve the confidential nature of the information reviewed during the site visit. 16

17. Campus Coordinator Role
Person responsible for accreditation process (not necessarily the department chair)
Helps team make travel plans, including transport to and from their hotel to your campus
Develops site visit schedule
Makes sure site visit stays on schedule
Organizes on campus meeting room for team
The campus coordinator is the person, in general, who is in charge of writing and putting together the self study document and arranging all logistics for the site visit. These include planning the travel, hotel, and transportation to and from the hotel to the campus; drafting the site visit schedule and modifying it as necessary, making sure the site visit remains on schedule, and organizing the meeting room for the site visit team. 17

18. On-site Materials Course syllabi Institutional course catalog
Copy of last regional accreditation self-study report and findings
Faculty member vitae
Faculty handbook
O/A Plan
Summary of realized outcomes
Internship Manual
Each site visit team member will bring his/her copy of your self-study document to the site (often electronically). However, you will have additional materials available for the site team in their meeting room. Items frequently placed in the meeting room for the accreditation site visit team include:
Course syllabi (courses in the Sport Management degree curricula).
Extra copies of the institution’s catalog.
A copy of the last Regional accreditation self-study report and a copy of the findings of that visiting team.
A copy of each faculty member’s vita (include only the faculty who were employed during the self-study year, full-time and part-time).
A copy of the faculty handbook.
A copy of your Outcomes Assessment Plan and a summary of the realized outcomes resulting from the implementation of the Outcomes Assessment Plan during the self-study year.
Internship manual (if applicable)
The visiting team may need other materials and if so, the campus coordinator of the site visit will assist the team in obtaining those materials. 18

19. Site Visit - Day 1 Schedule 8:00 am
Meet with dept. head to discuss two day visit
9:00 am
Meet with President and/or Chief Academic Officer
9:30 am
Meet with Outcomes Assessment Coordinator to review institutional plan
10:30 am
Review Sport Management O/A plan with dept. head
Noon
Lunch with faculty (no administrators present)
1:30 pm
Work time for site team & dept. head to validate self- study and ask questions (3 - 4 hours)
6pm
Dinner
The Campus Coordinator will prepare a written schedule and agenda for the site visit, in concert with the site visit Team Chair. Institutions differ so much that it is difficult to present an all-inclusive outline for all visits, but there are several meetings and tasks that are normally scheduled during a site visit. Some of these include:
Meeting with the head of the sport management department as the first item of business.
Meeting with the top-level administrators of the institution, usually the President, the Chief Academic Officer and/or the Dean.
Meeting with the campus coordinator of outcomes assessment.
Validating the self-study statistical contents and narrative contents. This is when the site visit team will work in their meeting room for three to four hours.
Meet with some (or possibly all) of the faculty if appropriate and convenient who teach sport management courses. This is often done collectively. 19

20. Site Visit - Day 2 Schedule 8:00 am
Meet with students majoring in sport management
9:00 am
Tour facilities (library, classrooms, computer labs, etc.)
10:30 am
Exit interview with dept. head (and others, if desired)
Noon
Lunch meeting with Advisory Board (or other parties)
1:30 pm
Site team works on draft report/time for unexpected issues
3:00 pm
Site team departs from campus
Interview some of the students enrolled in sport management courses. This is often done collectively.
Have a brief tour of the physical facilities used by the sport management students, including the library.
If an off-campus site delivers 25% or more of student credit hours for your department, an off-site visit will be required.
Exit interview with the head of the sport management department. This meeting can be attended by anyone that you want – it involves discussing the findings of the site visit team – strengths and weaknesses.
In general, it is important to remember that the site team must allocate adequate time to validate the information submitted in the self-study and this may be done in coordination with the Campus Coordinator of the site visit. 20

21. Site Visit Report Each team member completes his/her own checklist
Team chair writes final report (from template) and sends to COSMA
Address findings related to areas of non- compliance
Include strengths and weaknesses in areas of compliance
The team keeps all materials until the BOC meets to make their accreditation decision
The Team Chair is responsible for preparing the site visit team’s final summary report and for submitting it to me within two weeks after the visit. They will address areas of compliance with the COSMA principles, areas of noncompliance, and strengths of the program. 21

22. Program Response Review the report from the site visit
Prepare a response and submit by the stated deadline
Work with Heather on your response
Provide explanations and timelines where necessary 22

23. What COSMA Does After the Site Visit
Program receives site visit report
May include request for additional information
All materials sent to Board of Commissioners – self-study, site visit team report, rejoinder, etc.
Subgroup of Commissioners – led by your BOC observer - reviews materials and prepares detailed presentation.
Once I receive the site visit report, I will send it to the Campus Coordinator and send a copy to the President and Chief Academic Officer. I will give you a deadline for responding to the report which is usually about a month prior to the Board of Commissioner’s meeting. One BOC member is provided all materials related to your program and he or she completes a summary matrix of the findings and his or her recommendations to the entire BOC. The Board then makes an accreditation decision and decides what kind of follow-up is required by the program (if any).

24. Commissioners’ Accreditation Decisions
Accreditation with Notes
Accreditation with Observations
Accreditation Deferred
Accreditation Denied
The accreditation decisions that the BOC can make are as follows:
Accredited with Notes – this means that there are areas of noncompliance that must be addressed and remediated within three years of being accredited
Accredited with Observations – these are areas that do not have to be addressed but are recommended
Accreditation Deferred – this means an accreditation decision has been deferred to a later date, within three years, pending remedial action or more information from the program on the areas of noncompliance
Accreditation Denied – the program is in significant noncompliance with a number of principles or has lost its regional accreditation. Please note that it is highly unlikely that a program would get as far as a site visit and have their accreditation denied. I will be working with you quite closely prior to this.

25. Annual Reports
All programs -- regardless of accreditation status -- submit an Annual Report
Respond to Notes
Provide Outcomes Assessment data – SLOs, OEGs, program information profile
Indicate program and administrative changes
Due by July 31 each year – website must be updated
Annual reports are required of all programs who have achieved Candidacy Status or who are accredited. The annual report is the opportunity to show how areas of noncompliance outlined by the site visit team and agreed upon by the BOC are being remediated. You also report the findings of your outcomes assessment data collection within the annual report. In addition, it is the place where you would share any changes to your program such as new degree programs, changes in department head, moving from one college to another, and any other significant administrative or programmatic changes. Annual reports are requested in May and are due no later than July 31 each year. 25

26. Conclusions COSMA membership
Utilize Candidacy Status process in development of Outcomes Assessment plan with assigned BOC member & Heather
Use internal resources
Don’t be afraid to revise plan as needed
Attend as many trainings as you want
The first step in this process is to become a member of COSMA. The Candidacy Status process can help you design an excellent outcomes assessment plan. Please use me to guide you and give you suggestions as well as utilize the people and offices on your campus that do assessment. Be open to revising your plans as you go along and attend as many trainings as you want, and that includes just ing or talking to me about your questions and concerns.