Area: Accreditation
Subject: Surveyor Recruitment and Selection
Board Approved date: September 16, 2025

Purpose

The Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC) is committed to maintaining the integrity, fairness, and quality of its accreditation process. To achieve this, CDAC has established a policy for the recruitment and selection of qualified surveyors to participate in the review of pre-submitted survey documentation that substantiates compliance with standards and who participate in onsite accreditation surveys of programs.

Surveyors have three key functions:

  • To evaluate an educational program against defined accreditation standards and make recommendations as to whether a program meets, exceeds or does not meet the accreditation standards
  • To make quality improvement recommendations and to identify areas of commendation for a program
  • To compile and present findings in an accreditation survey report for consideration by the Accreditation Review Committee in determining a program’s accreditation status

Policy Statement

This policy outlines the eligibility criteria, application process, and selection procedures for individuals seeking to serve as surveyors.

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for selection as a CDAC surveyor, applicants must meet the following criteria.

Mandatory criteria for all Surveyors:

  1. Demonstrated ability to communicate/interview effectively and to provide constructive feedback.
  2. Ability to work cooperatively in a team setting.
  3. Good judgement and decision-making capacity.
  4. Ability to work under pressure, manage time effectively and meet deadlines.
  5. Ability to be objective and impartial.
  6. Ability to adhere to CDAC policy regarding confidentiality.
  7. Ability to adhere to CDAC policy regarding code of conduct and ethics.
  8. Ability to adhere to CDAC policy regarding conflict of interest.

Criteria for Surveyor filling the Academic role:

  1. Program Affiliation:
    • Must be currently affiliated with a program accredited by CDAC or have been affiliated within the past three (3) years.
  2. Educational Experience:
    • Must have a minimum of five (5) years of teaching experience in the didactic or clinical components of a relevant oral health curriculum.
    • Must have contemporary knowledge of and experience in student assessment, teaching procedures and teaching materials
    • Must have contemporary knowledge of and experience in teaching administration and leadership, quality assurance, program evaluation and program design
  3. Regulatory Status:
    • Must be registered/licensed and in good standing with respective regulatory oral health profession authority (unless fully retired or academic position that does not require license).
  4. Professional Currency:
    • Must be currently active in the educational field or retired within the past three (3) years. Surveyors who exceed the three-year retirement threshold will be removed from the CDAC surveyor pool.
  5. Professional Conduct:
    • Must demonstrate a history of ethical professional behaviour, including a professional record in good standing without disciplinary actions.

Criteria for Surveyor filling the Clinician role:

  1. Educational Experience:
    • Knowledge of the tertiary/post-secondary education sector
  2. Clinical Experience:
    • Must be an experienced dental/oral health clinician or researcher in the oral health field with a minimum of 5 years practice, in community/hospital or in an academic setting
    • Understanding of what attributes, skills and competencies are required of dental practitioners
    • Understanding of the professional and clinical standards required for dental practitioners to deliver oral health care
    • Understanding of the dental health needs of individuals and the community
  3. Regulatory Status:
    • Must be registered/licensed and in good standing with respective regulatory oral health regulatory college (unless fully retired).
  4. Professional Currency:
    • Must be currently active as a clinician or retired within the past three (3) years. Surveyors who exceed the three-year retirement threshold will be removed from the CDAC surveyor pool.
  5. Professional Conduct:
    • Must demonstrate a history of ethical professional behaviour, including a professional record in good standing without disciplinary actions.

Preferred Criteria:

  1. Clinical Experience:
    • Clinical teaching experience is highly recommended and considered an asset.
  2. Interprofessional Experience:
    • Experience working collaboratively with interprofessional teams is valued.
    • Experience in professional organisations/committees is valued.
  3. Accreditation Experience:
    • Prior experience with accreditation processes (as a surveyor or within a program preparing for accreditation) is an asset.

Application Process

Interested individuals must submit the following documentation:

  • A cover letter expressing interest and relevant qualifications.
  • A current resume.
  • A completed CDAC Surveyor Application Form
  • Two reference letters that can validate your experience, skills and attributes and can state you would make you a good CDAC surveyor.
  • Criminal record check (if application advances to second step of the selection process)

Applications should be emailed to [email protected].

Surveyor Renumeration

Travel and accommodation expenses are covered, and stipend provided.

Selection Process

  1. Initial Screening:
    Applications are reviewed by CDAC to ensure they meet the eligibility requirements.
  2. Assessment:
    Applications are evaluated based on a combination of professional experience, educational background, communication skills, and alignment with CDAC’s values and accreditation goals. This will include a brief telephone call with the CDAC Manager of Accreditation.
  3. Notification:
    CDAC will follow up with the applicant once the completed application form has been received with details about next steps.
  4. Annual Availability:
    CDAC will distribute an availability request to all listed surveyors to confirm their participation in upcoming accreditation activities.

Ongoing Responsibilities

  • Surveyors must inform CDAC of any changes to their professional status, employment, or eligibility criteria.
  • Willingness to complete training and calibration activities organized by CDAC

Contact

For questions or to submit your application, please contact: [email protected]