Area: Accreditation
Subject: Appeal of accreditation decisions policy

Purpose:

This policy has been established to ensure that CDAC has a transparent process to receive, document and respond to requests for appeal from CDAC-accredited programs or facilities.

Scope:

This policy applies to appeals received regarding CDAC-accredited programs and facilities.

A program or facility may appeal the following accreditation decisions:

  • The content of a site visit report.
  • The decision to revoke accreditation, refusal to accredit or to accredit subject to reporting requirements.

The following are considered grounds for appeal:

  • Evidence that the way the accreditation process was conducted was procedurally unfair. This may include, for example,
    • Failure of the site visit team to follow established site visit protocols
    • Failure of the Accreditation Review Committee to follow due process
    • An undisclosed conflict of interest by one or more site accreditation team or members of the CDAC Accreditation Review Committee involved in the decision
  • Factual errors in the final accreditation report or letter.
  • The outcome of the accreditation process is unjustified or unreasonable based on the evidence available at the time of the accreditation visit or decision.

New evidence not provided to the survey team, or general dissatisfaction with the results, are not considered grounds for appeal.

Policy and Procedures:

  1. In most instances concerns arising out of accreditation processes may be resolved by discussing the matter with the Executive Director and/or the Chair of the applicable CDAC Review Committee. This is the most convenient, efficient, cost neutral method of conflict resolution. However, where there continues to be an unresolved disagreement regarding a decision made by CDAC, then the program or facility may ask for an appeal to be considered by an Appeal Panel under the process outlined below.
  2. If a program or facility decides to proceed with an appeal, a written request to appeal must be received by CDAC within thirty calendar (30) days of the date of receipt of CDAC’s decision letter which is being appealed. A non-refundable appeal fee in the amount of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) payable to CDAC must accompany the request.
  3. Once the written appeal has been submitted to the CDAC Appeal Panel, the appellant may not apply for a new survey or submit an application until it has received the decision of the Appeal Panel. CDAC will acknowledge receipt of the request to appeal.
  4. If an appeal is made, the decision appealed against will not take effect until the outcome of the appeal (unless otherwise agreed with the education provider).
  5. The appellant must submit a written brief to the CDAC Appeal Panel outlining the grounds for the appeal within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of the CDAC acknowledgement of the request to appeal.
  6. The CDAC Appeal Panel will also request a written report from the Chair of the applicable CDAC Accreditation Review Committee.
  7. An appeal hearing of the CDAC Appeal Panel will be scheduled within ninety (90) calendar days of receipt of the appeal submission.
  8. The members of the Appeal Panel must not have been involved in the accreditation of the program that is the subject of the review.
  9. Representatives invited to the appeal hearing will be:
    1. From the program or facility: the administrator and two (2) other representatives may attend, at their own expense. The program or facility will advise the Appeal Panel in writing of the names and titles of the program or facility representatives attending, including the spokesperson, ten (10) days prior to the date of the hearing.
    2. From CDAC: the CDAC Appeal Panel and the Chair of the CDAC Accreditation Review Committee that recommended the original accreditation decision will attend.

The program or facility’s written brief and the CDAC Accreditation Review Committee Chair’s report will be shared with both parties.

  1. The rules of order for the meeting will be determined by the Chair of the Appeal Panel. Following a brief opening statement by the Chair of the Appeal Panel, the Chair will request representatives from the program or facility to present its information related to the appeal followed by the CDAC representatives. The members of the Appeal Panel may pose questions to the representatives in attendance. The representatives present may make closing statements. CDAC and program or facility representatives will then be dismissed.
  2. The program or facility will be notified of the decision of the CDAC Appeal Panel by email within ten (10) days following the hearing.