Managing Risk with COVID-19-Related Changes to Accreditation Standards

Washington, D.C. partner John Przypyszny and Chicago counsel Cindy Irani presented “Managing Risk with COVID-19-Related Changes to Accreditation Standards” at an Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) event on May 19, 2020. ASPA’s membership is comprised of educational accreditors who set national educational standards for entry into more than 100 specialized disciplines or defined professions. John and Cindy discussed best practices and U.S. Department of Education guidelines regarding revising accreditation benchmarks, terms of accreditation status, virtual site visit policies, and clinical and field experience standards, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key to their recommendations is the vital importance of applying revised standards and procedures consistently and clearly, and maintaining thorough documentation of actions taken pursuant to the revised standards and procedures.