ACCREDITATION and POLICY MANUAL - ABFSE

1 Includes: COA revisions approved October 2013 ABFSE and COA ACCREDITATION and POLICY MANUAL COA corrections October 2014 and October 2015 COA and ABFSE Revisions approved April 2016 AMERICAN BOARD of FUNERAL SERVICE EDUCATION and the COMMITTEE ON ACCREDITATION ACCREDITATION and POLICY MANUAL Revisions October 2013 (language corrections April 2014) (language corrected October 2014) April 2016 Includes: COA revisions approved October 2013 ABFSE and COA ACCREDITATION and POLICY MANUAL COA corrections October 2014 and October 2015 COA and ABFSE Revisions approved April 2016 INTRODUCTION The MANUAL on ACCREDITATION was reviewed in its entirety by the Committee on ACCREDITATION at two meetings (October 1999 and April 2000) and final revisions of the MANUAL were approved by the COA at their October 2000 meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.

2 Specific revisions were approved by the COA (March and April 2007, March and October 2008, April 2009, April and October 2010, April and October 2011, and April 2012) and the ABFSE (April 2007, and April 2009, 2010, and 2011). The ACCREDITATION and POLICY MANUAL is reviewed formally every five years as indicated in Section F of Chapter X (See Appendix H for the specific schedule and steps). the most recent formal review was conducted in 2012- 2013 . The next formal review will begin in April 2016. Unscheduled revisions and editorial changes occur as appropriate. Revision dates are indicated on the bottom of each page of the MANUAL .

3 The ACCREDITATION MANUAL is available on-line and may be downloaded without charges from the ABFSE website ( ; click on "Committee on ACCREDITATION " on the right middle of the page and then scroll down to the bottom of the linked page). Questions about any aspect of the MANUAL and/or suggestions for correcting any errors identified in the text are welcomed. NOTE: At present, the COA only accredits institutions and programs in the United States. However, the COA is interested in considering applications for ACCREDITATION from institutions and programs in other countries.

4 Accordingly, references to "state" throughout the MANUAL are properly viewed as inclusive of other appropriate governmental entities. Similarly, language throughout referring to degrees, semesters, terms, governance, etc., may be considered as implicitly including reasonable equivalencies as determined by the COA. >>> Please direct inquires and comments to <<< Executive Director American Board of Funeral Service Education 992 Mantua Pike, Suite 108 Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097 Phone: (816) 233-3747 FAX: (856) 579-7354 Email: Wed: I Includes.

5 COA revisions approved October 2013 ABFSE and COA ACCREDITATION and POLICY MANUAL COA corrections October 2014 and October 2015 COA and ABFSE Revisions approved April 2016 ABFSE ACCREDITATION AND POLICY MANUAL 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 3 INTRODUCTION ii 4 5 CHAPTER I THE AMERICAN BOARD OF FUNERAL SERVICE EDUCATION ( ABFSE ): BRIEF 6 HISTORY 1-1 7 8 CHAPTER II CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE ABFSE 2-1 9 10 CHAPTER III THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS 11 A.

6 DEFINITION AND PURPOSE OF ACCREDITATION 3-1 12 B. THE ABFSE COMMITTEE ON ACCREDITATION 3-1 13 C. ELIGIBILITY FOR INITIAL ACCREDITATION 3-2 14 D. ACCREDITATION CATEGORIES 3-3 15 E. DURATION OF ACCREDITATION 3-4 16 17 CHAPTER IV CANDIDACY STATUS 18 A. CONSULTING VISIT BY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 4-1 19 B. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CATEGORY ONE (NEW APPLICANTS) 4-1 20 C. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CATEGORY TWO (PREVIOUSLY 21 ACCREDITED APPLICANTS) 4-3 22 D.

7 STEPS TO BE FOLLOWED IN APPLYING FOR CANDIDACY STATUS 4-5 23 E. PUBLIC INFORMATION 4-5 24 25 CHAPTER V ACCREDITATION PROCEDURES 26 A. PREPARING FOR ACCREDITATION 5-1 27 1. THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE 5-1 28 2. THE SELF STUDY PROCESS 5-1 29 3. INTERNAL ORGANIZATION FOR CONDUCTING THE SELF STUDY 5-2 30 4.

8 THE SELF STUDY REPORT 5-2 31 B. THE ON-SITE VISIT 5-3 32 1. PURPOSE AND SCHEDULING 5-3 33 2. VISITING COMMITTEE COMPOSITION, TRAINING, AND SELECTION 5-4 34 3. THE ON-SITE VISIT 5-5 35 4.

9 MODEL SITE VISIT AGENDA 5-6 36 5. THE EXIT INTERVIEW 5-7 37 6. THE SITE-VISIT REPORT 5-7 38 7. RESPONSIBILITIES OF PROGRAM DIRECTOR, 5-839 8. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE VISITING COMMITTEE CHAIR 5-8 40 AND MEMBERS 5-9 41 42 CHAPTER VI THE COMMITTEE ON ACCREDITATION PROCEDURES 43 A.

10 THE COMMITTEE ON ACCREDITATION REVIEW OF MATERIALS AND 44 PROGRAM TESTIMONY 6-1 45 B. COMMITTEE ON ACCREDITATION ACTIONS 6-1 46 47 48 49 50 ii 51 Includes: COA revisions approved October 2013 ABFSE and COA ACCREDITATION and POLICY MANUAL COA corrections October 2014 and October 2015 COA and ABFSE Revisions approved April 2016 ABFSE ACCREDITATION AND POLICY MANUAL 1 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS, cont'd 3 4 C.