Accreditation: Support When It Matters Most

We know accreditation demands significant time, resources, and expertise. PAEA is committed to ensuring our members have the practical support they need throughout this high-stakes process.

That commitment is why we invited Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville PC (Powers), a law firm that advises PA programs on ARC-PA adverse actions, appeals, applications, and general compliance to lead a webinar last month on: Navigating an ARC-PA Accreditation Review and Potential Adverse Action.

More than 300 members attended. The session covered how to identify warning signs and critical points in the accreditation process, how to differentiate between types of adverse actions and understand their causes and effects, and how to navigate the appeal process and its potential impacts on programs and institutions. Powers walked through the full lifecycle of the accreditation process and shared data that put the current landscape in sharp relief: of the 322 ARC-PA-accredited entry-level PA programs, approximately 9% are currently on probation — compared to 1.7% of physical therapy programs accredited by CAPTE and 1.8% of medical school programs accredited by LCME. Over the past 10 years, at least 13 withdrawal actions resulted in program closures.

These numbers reflect something PAEA hears consistently from members: accreditation is one of the most resource-intensive challenges PA programs face, and the stakes — for students, faculty, institutions, and the communities they serve — are high.

The webinar also gave members space to ask practical questions about site visit preparation, responding to citations, and avoiding adverse actions. Members raised a concern we hear repeatedly: that it can be difficult to understand how ARC-PA makes decisions. Powers addressed this directly, explaining the meaningful distinctions between accreditation statuses: Accreditation-Continued, Accreditation-Probation, Accreditation-Withheld, and Accreditation-Withdrawn, and walking through the data on citation ranges and averages for programs that received Accreditation-Continued status (averaging 4.6–5.5 citations in recent years) versus those placed on probation (averaging 27–31 citations). Members also asked questions about which standards to prioritize, which will inform our future programming.

Of the 322 ARC-PA-accredited entry-level PA programs, approximately 9% are currently on probation — compared to 1.7% of physical therapy programs accredited by CAPTE and 1.8% of medical school programs accredited by LCME.

Attendees also learned about warning signs that programs are at heightened risk, such as warning letters, high numbers of site visit observations, and when reports are not accepted by the ARC-PA. Powers also explained that programs that have not yet been reviewed under the 5th or 6th Edition Standards need to be especially cautious going into their next review and ensure they are carefully monitoring the ARC-PA guidance on demonstrating compliance.

For programs that do receive an adverse action, Powers walked through the appeal process step by step: from the Notice of Adverse Action to the reconsideration process to the formal appeal hearing. Understanding this process — and the tight timelines it involves — is essential for any program navigating probation or withdrawal.

The response from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Members expressed gratitude not only for the substantive guidance Powers provided, but also for the opportunity to come together as a community, share challenges, and recognize that they are not navigating these pressures alone.

Based on that feedback, we have invited Powers to lead a series of additional webinars focused on the accreditation process. The next session, Drafting Strong and Compliant Instructional Objectives and Learning Outcomes, takes place on July 16. Whether your program is preparing for an upcoming review or working to strengthen its documentation practices, this session will offer concrete, practical guidance.

PAEA will continue to build out this series with topics drawn directly from what members tell us they need most. Our goal is straightforward: to give PA programs the information, tools, and community support to navigate accreditation with confidence.

PAEA did not participate in the development of or review the content in advance of the webinar provided by Powers. PAEA is hosting webinars by Powers as a service to members.