FAQs: Self-Study

No. The self-study length will reflect the narrative required to address all relevant criteria. As you are writing your self-study, if you are concerned that your document may be too short or too long, contact CEPH staff.

The ERF is due at the same time the preliminary and final self-studies are submitted. In most cases, the ERF will be updated for the submission of the final self-study. You may also provide updated information at the start of the site visit. An ERF guide is available to assist in your preparations.

It is helpful to reference ERF materials in the self-study so that reviewers are aware of contents that may be pertinent to the accreditation review. It is also helpful to have a table of contents for the ERF files. An ERF guide is available here.

It is up to each school or program to decide whether to respond to the documentation request that asks for an assessment of the strengths, weaknesses and future plans related to the criterion. The Council created this flexibility to acknowledge that some criteria allow for more reflection than others. If you have nothing additional to add about the strengths, weaknesses and/or plans related to a specific criterion, you may respond to this documentation request with “not applicable.” Self-study templates are available here.

An ERF guide is available here. This document provides a comprehensive guide for creating the electronic resource file (ERF) that accompanies the self-study. Having the right organization and file names will ensure that your reviewers can focus on content rather than on locating information! The guide contains the following:

  • Guiding principles
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • Tips & examples
  • Outline with required folder and sub-folder names

No. All schools ad programs should use the sample agendas provided on the CEPH website to draft their agenda. If any changes need to be made, schools and programs should work with their assigned CEPH coordinator to ensure all required meetings take place.

Yes! There is an MS Word template for use in preparing the self-study document. Self-study templates are available here.