ducks in a row First off, congratulations! If you are hosting a comprehensive visit this coming year (either for reaffirmation of accreditation or for initial accreditation), you are in the home stretch of what has likely been a two-year (or more!) process of self-study. If you attended one of the Commission's Self-Study Workshops, or have been following the (old) Self-Study Handbook, you already have all the tools you need to engage the self-study process, complete the self-study report, and prepare for the site visit. If you have any questions about these early stages of the process, you can consult either the old self-study handbook (if you are writing to the "old" Standards) or the new one (if you are writing to the "new" Standards).

Assuming that you have already finished (or, know how to finish) your self-study process and self-study report, the next sections in this module will highlight the elements of the new Self-Study Handbook that apply to all comprehensive visits, focusing on tips:

for preparing your final self-study report
for submitting your self-study report,
and a few other things to remember.

If you are hosting a focused visit this coming year, you will either receive a Prospectus from the ATS office (with instructions for how to plan for the visit) or your Commission staff liaison will explain the process to you directly. You might wish to skip to the section on Planning and Hosting the Visit.