If you're gearing up for your National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts & Sciences (NACCAS) candidate visit, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed. The NACCAS inspection process can seem complex and challenging, but with the right preparation, it can go smoothly. This blog post will walk you through the key steps to ace your NACCAS candidate inspection in just 48 hours. By following this guide, you'll be able to confidently navigate the process, ensuring your school is in compliance and ready for the visit.

What is NACCAS, and Why is the Candidate Visit Important?

The NACCAS is an accrediting agency for schools and programs in cosmetology arts and sciences. Accreditation ensures that your school meets specific quality standards and is eligible for federal financial aid programs. The candidate visit is a crucial step in gaining full accreditation. It’s a friendly but thorough inspection where NACCAS representatives assess your institution’s compliance with their standards.

1. Respond Promptly to the NACCAS Pre-Onsite Evaluation Survey

As soon as you receive the email notification from NACCAS, it’s vital to complete the pre-onsite evaluation survey within 48 hours. This survey serves as a foundational document that provides NACCAS with essential details about your school.

• Key Information to Include:

  • Date of the visit

  • School name and address

  • School representative (likely the owner or director)

  • Number of programs offered (e.g., Barbering, Cosmetology, Nails, Aesthetics)

  • Language of instruction (e.g., English, Spanish)

  • Graduates in the past 12 months

  • Total enrollment numbers

Make sure to fill out all sections thoroughly and accurately. If certain fields don’t apply to your school, such as those for an expanded campus or additional contacts, you can write “N/A.” However, always ensure the survey is completed in full.

2. Prepare the Checklist for Graduates and Current Students

One of the most important parts of the NACCAS candidate visit is the checklist, which includes key documents and data related to your students. Here’s how to tackle this:

• Graduates: For graduates in the past 12 months, create a detailed grid with their last name first, start date, course enrolled, scheduled graduation date, and actual graduation date.

• Current Students: Do the same for currently enrolled students. You’ll need to include both actual hours and scheduled hours. For example, if a student is scheduled for 30 hours per week and they’ve been enrolled for three weeks, they should have 90 scheduled hours. If they only attended 70 of those hours, that’s their actual hours.

By having this information ready in an organized format, you’ll make it easy for the NACCAS team to review your records.

3. Institutional Self-Study (ISS) Documentation

The Institutional Self-Study (ISS) is a critical part of your NACCAS accreditation journey. The ISS covers every aspect of your school’s operations, and you’ll need to ensure that all required policies are properly documented and readily available.

Key Policies to Include:

• Leave of Absence Policy: Make two copies of your school’s leave of absence policy and have them ready for review.

• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy: This outlines how you track student performance and progress. Again, make sure you have two copies available.

• Refund Policy: Whether you use a state-mandated refund policy or NACCAS’s standard policy, you need a copy ready for review.

• Enrollment Agreements: Make sure your enrollment agreements are up-to-date and easily accessible. These agreements should include the student’s program, start date, and expected graduation date.

Each of these documents should be neatly organized, labeled, and placed in folders for easy reference during the visit.

4. Create Folders for Essential Documents

During the candidate visit, NACCAS will request to see certain key documents. To stay organized, it’s best to prepare folders in advance, labeled with each required document. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need:

• Institutional Policies: These should include admissions policies, re-entry policies, attendance policies, and more.

• Instructor Files: Each instructor should have a personal file containing their license, continuing education certificates, and a copy of their most recent performance evaluation.

• Advisory Committee Minutes: If you have an Advisory Committee, you’ll need to show meeting minutes that document the feedback provided by students, graduates, and committee members.

5. Prepare the Advisory Committee Documentation

The NACCAS requires schools to maintain an active Advisory Committee, which provides input on the effectiveness of the curriculum and training. You’ll need to document the names, business affiliations, and positions of your Advisory Committee members. Be sure to include:

• Four members representing different sectors of the industry (e.g., Barbers, Cosmetologists, Nail Technicians)

• Meeting minutes for Advisory Committee sessions

• Summaries of feedback from students, graduates, and instructors

This documentation shows that your school is actively seeking and implementing feedback to improve its programs.

6. Handle the Student Surveys and Feedback

NACCAS will also want to see documentation showing that you’ve gathered feedback from students and graduates. This is typically done through surveys. Ensure that you have both the surveys themselves and a summary of the results.

For example:

• Student Feedback: Common themes might include requests for financial aid or suggestions for more hands-on practice.

• Graduate Feedback: Graduates might mention their experiences with job placement services or their satisfaction with the training they received.

Summarizing these insights in a professional manner will demonstrate that your school values and acts on student and graduate feedback.

7. Instructor Evaluation and Continuing Education

For each of your instructors, you’ll need to provide evidence of annual performance evaluations and any continuing education they’ve completed. Keep these files organized and up to date. Instructors should also have copies of any certificates they received for professional development or additional training.

8. Advertising and Employment Assistance Documentation

You’ll need to provide samples of your school’s advertising materials from the past 12 months. This could include flyers, brochures, or digital ads. Remember, all advertisements must clearly state that the services offered by your students are supervised by instructors.

In addition to advertising, you should have a policy in place for employment assistance. While you can’t guarantee job placement, you should be able to demonstrate that you provide resources to help graduates find work in their chosen field.

9. Prepare for the Onsite Inspection Day

On the day of the candidate visit, ensure that all of the necessary documents are printed, labeled, and organized in folders. Make sure that your school is clean, orderly, and ready to host the NACCAS team. Arrange for private parking, if necessary, and ensure that your staff and instructors are prepared to answer any questions.

10. Post-Visit Follow-Up

After the visit, there may be some follow-up items based on the feedback from the NACCAS team. Address any recommendations or requests for additional documentation promptly to keep the accreditation process moving forward.

Conclusion: Stay Organized and Stay Calm

Preparing for a NACCAS candidate inspection can seem daunting, but with proper organization and a clear understanding of what’s required, you can successfully navigate the process. The key is to stay calm, stay focused, and use this guide as your roadmap. By following these steps, you’ll not only meet NACCAS’s expectations but also set your school up for long-term success.

If you have any questions or need additional help, don’t hesitate to reach out to a NACCAS consultant or the team that assists with your self-study and documentation.