You can now access the Annual Report through the Online Accreditation Management system located at naspaa.civicore.com.  You will need to register for access.

COPRA has modified the data fields and questions to create a single annual report that functions for both programs using the “old” (pre-2009) and “new” (passed in 2009) accreditation standards. Some questions will be optional for programs accredited under pre-2009 standards.

In addition to accommodating the transition to new accreditation standards, the Annual Accreditation Report is a fundamental component of NASPAA’s new data initiatives for public service education. Annual report information is connected to NASPAA’s data warehouse and NASPAA institutions will be able to get information for regular aggregated analyses as well as ad hoc queries. As part of the overall data strategy, the data requested in the annual accreditation report are now aligned in the exact definitional and reporting format as the requests in the accreditation self-study report due every seven years, for ease of reporting and to better view trends. Additionally, federal data definitions have been adopted for the annual report data, whenever appropriate, to facilitate requesting information from your university’s institutional research offices. And finally, once NASPAA’s data warehouse is operational, the specific data requested in this report will not be repeated anywhere else—you will only have to answer the same question ONCE annually. 

Click here to view a draft of the new Accreditation Annual Report:
naspaa.org/accreditation/NS/document/AccreditationAnnualReport-Draft2011.pdf

Second, the due date for this report will be extended to September 15, 2011. 

Feedback from program directors indicated a strong preference for moving the due date of the report to early Fall from late Spring, although we will welcome early submissions from those wishing to complete it at the end of the Spring semester. And even thought the deadline has changed, the data collected will cover the same time period (Summer 2010-Spring 2011).

Third, there will be a new web interface for collecting and viewing your data.

All accreditation documents are now collected through a single web interface, where you have ready access at any time to your current and old information. The annual report is currently under development in this new system. We will be sending you login information shortly.

NASPAA staff and COPRA members are eager to assist you with any questions or concerns you might have as we all transition to this new data enterprise. Your feedback is welcome on any aspect of the process, the functionality of the technology, and the data COPRA intends to collect. We’ve listed some specific FAQs below. The next step will be an email from NASPAA in the next month letting you know how to login to the system and start your report.

Regards,

Crystal Calarusse 
Academic Director, NASPAA


Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I submit my report?
Programs will enter their report in the new Online Accreditation Management system.  You can access the system at naspaa.civicore.com. You will first need to register before you can access the system.  Click here for a visual guide, for the technically-shy, we are happy to give you a personal tutorial.  

I can't print my Annual Report using the Print to PDF button why is that?
If you are using Internet Explorer the Print to PDF functionality will not work; our developers are working on this issue, in the meantime you can use Firefox or Chrome to print a copy of your report.

Does my program need to fill out this report?
All accredited programs need to fill out this report. The only exceptions are programs submitting Self-Study reports in August 2011, as they will be providing their annual data in the same format in the more comprehensive report.

Can I turn the report in early?
Yes. You do not have to wait until September 15 to turn in the report. The online interface for collecting data should be ready soon and we recommend waiting for that development so you can use the new web interface and begin tracking your info online. However, if you need to submit in May 2011 prior to completion of the system, please send a .pdf of your report to copra@naspaa.org. Once the online report is ready, no further .pdf submissions will be accepted.

What if I can’t collect the data COPRA is requesting?
Please contact NASPAA staff or a COPRA member for advice on your unique situation.

Does this mean more work for programs?
That depends. The report does ask for more quantitative data, but some of the qualitative questions have been streamlined from the previous report. The data definitions have been designed to facilitate liaising with data your institution might be collecting for other purposes (IPEDS—Dept of Education, etc.). And our IT contractor is also working on ways for data to flow from one annual report to the next, and from the annual report to the relevant fields in the self-study report. So, yes, there is more data overall, but there will be better functionality and usage—for you and your peers.

How can I provide feedback?
NASPAA staff and COPRA members would be pleased to receive your feedback on any aspect of the process, the technology, or the data collected. The annual report is new and is subject to revision as programs and COPRA learn what does and doesn’t work. If you see opportunities for improvement, please speak up—this is your peer review process. You can submit comments to copra@naspaa.org or contact the NASPAA office and staff can direct you to the best person for your query.

I am accredited under pre-2009 standards. By filling out this report, will I be held to the new standards?
In a word, no. Your program will be assessed on an annual basis according to the standards in place at the time of your last accreditation. However, even when working with the same set of standards over any length of time, COPRA’s understanding of what quality means in this field is always developing. If over time your program has indicated no evidence of a transition to competency-based standards, the Commission may express concern in its communications to your program, from a formative, rather than evaluative, perspective.