If you're pursuing accreditation for your beauty school from the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS), one key milestone is preparing for the candidate visit. This essential visit, which evaluates whether your institution is on track to meet NACCAS standards, places significant importance on the candidate visit checklist. This guide will walk you through how to prepare the necessary documents and organize your checklist, ensuring that your school is fully prepared for this crucial step.

Understanding the Candidate Visit Checklist

The NACCAS candidate visit checklist is a set of documents that must be submitted at least two weeks before your on-site evaluation. It contains key reports, policies, and records that provide evidence of your school’s adherence to NACCAS standards. Properly compiling and organizing these materials is vital for a successful visit.

Step 1: Preparing Student Lists

The first step is to create three separate student lists. These lists provide detailed information about your current and former students, which helps NACCAS evaluators assess your school’s operational history.

1. Current Students

This list should include all students currently enrolled in your school. The spreadsheet should feature:

• Student names

• Start dates

• Courses enrolled in

• Approximate number of actual hours completed

• Approximate number of scheduled hours completed

• Students on leave of absence (if applicable)

2. Graduates

Include all students who have graduated in the 12 months prior to your candidate visit. Each graduate’s information should include:

• Graduate's name (in "last name, first name" format)

• Start date

• Program enrolled in

• Scheduled graduation date

• Actual graduation date

3. Withdrawals/Terminations

This list details students who withdrew or were terminated within the past 12 months. Each entry should include:

• Student's name (last name first)

• Start date

• Last day of attendance

• Date the institution determined the student’s withdrawal

• Actual hours at the time of withdrawal/termination

• Scheduled hours at the time of withdrawal/termination

Make sure these lists are up-to-date and reflect accurate data, as NACCAS reviewers will closely examine them.

Step 2: Compiling Policy Documents

Next, you’ll need to gather and cross-reference key policies from your Institutional Self-Study (ISS). These policies demonstrate your school’s structure and commitment to standards. You’ll need to extract the following policies and documents:

1. Leave of Absence Policy

2. Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

3. Institutional Refund Policy

4. Enrollment Agreement for each program

5. School Catalog

6. Ability to Benefit Policy (if applicable)

7. Internal Grievance Policy

8. Academic Advising Policy and Procedures

9. Attendance Policy

To meet NACCAS requirements, these policies must be clear, consistent, and directly pulled from your ISS. Create separate documents for each policy by extracting the relevant pages from your ISS.

Step 3: Creating Bookmarks for Your PDF

One of the most important aspects of preparing the candidate visit checklist is creating proper bookmarks in your PDF file. NACCAS requires the checklist to be bookmarked for easy navigation by evaluators. Here’s how to do it:

Instructions for Creating Bookmarks:

1. Use PDF Editing Software – Software like Adobe Acrobat Pro allows you to create bookmarks.

2. Identify Sections – Bookmark each section of your checklist, such as:

   • A.1 Current Students

   • B.1 Cross-Reference Leave of Absence Policy

3. Create the Bookmarks – For each section:

   • Navigate to the corresponding page.

   • Click on the bookmark icon.

   • Add a new bookmark and name it accordingly.

4. Check Navigation – Ensure that clicking each bookmark directs you to the correct page in the document.

Step 4: Extracting and Inserting Policy Documents

To compile your policy documents, follow these steps:

1. Open your ISS PDF – Find the relevant policy.

2. Extract Pages – Note the starting and ending page numbers of the policy, then:

   • Select the "Extract Pages" option in your PDF editor.

   • Extract and save the pages as a new document (e.g., "B.1 Leave of Absence Policy").

3. Insert Pages – Open your main checklist PDF, and insert the extracted policy document in the correct section.

4. Bookmark the New Section – Add a bookmark for each newly inserted policy document.

Repeat these steps for each policy required in the checklist.

Step 5: Handling Non-Applicable Policies

If specific policies (such as the Ability to Benefit Policy) are not relevant to your school, you still need to include these in your checklist. Here’s how to handle them:

1. Insert a Blank Page – Create a blank page where the policy normally goes.

2. Label the Page – Indicate the section number and write “N/A” or “Not Applicable.”

3. Bookmark the Page – Add a bookmark for this page in the correct section.

Step 6: Final Review and Quality Check

Before submitting your checklist, conduct a thorough review to ensure everything is in order:

1. Test the Bookmarks – Click through each bookmark to confirm it navigates to the correct page.

2. Check for Completeness – Ensure all required policies and student lists are included and that the data is up-to-date.

3. Verify Document Order – Confirm that the checklist follows NACCAS's required order and includes every necessary section.

4. Confirm Accuracy – Double-check that all details match your ISS and other school documents.

Step 7: Uploading to the NACCAS Portal

Once your checklist is finalized, upload it to the NACCAS portal following these steps:

1. Log in to Your NACCAS Account – Visit naccas.org and log in with your school’s credentials.

2. Select Document Category – In your dashboard, click on "Document Upload," then select "On-Site Visit Documents."

3. Upload Checklist – Choose the "Checklist Documents" subcategory and upload your completed PDF.

4. Confirm Upload – Wait for the file to upload completely, and verify that the submission was successful.

Important Tips for Success

1. Start Early – Begin assembling your checklist well in advance. The process of preparing the documents, extracting policies, and creating bookmarks is time-consuming, so starting early is crucial for a successful accreditation process.

2. Pay Attention to Detail – NACCAS is known for its thorough review process. Double-check all names, dates, and policies to ensure accuracy and avoid discrepancies that could affect your accreditation status.

3. Stay Organized – Use consistent naming conventions and well-organized files to make the process smoother for both you and NACCAS reviewers.

4. Use Professional PDF Software – Software like Adobe Acrobat Pro will make creating bookmarks and managing documents much easier.

5. Keep Your Student Lists Updated – Update your student lists right up to the date of submission to avoid outdated information.

6. Proof Your Work – Go through the entire checklist once more after creating bookmarks to ensure everything is correct.

7. Double-Check Upload – Make sure you’re uploading the final version of the checklist and that no sections are missing or incomplete.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. For Instance, ensure that all required fields, particularly in student lists, are filled out completely and accurately. This includes student names, start dates, courses enrolled in, and hours completed.

2. Mismatched Documents – Make sure that the information in your checklist matches exactly with your ISS and licensing documents.

3. Bookmark Errors – Incorrect bookmarks can frustrate evaluators, so double-check that each bookmark is correctly linked.

4. Outdated Data – Always use the most current information for student records, policies, and other relevant documents.

5. Forgetting Non-Applicable Sections – Even if a policy doesn’t apply to your school, you need to include an “N/A” page for it.

Conclusion

Preparing for the NACCAS candidate visit requires meticulous attention to detail and careful organization. By following the steps in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to creating a complete, accurate, and well-organized checklist that will ease the accreditation process.

Approach each task one step at a time, start early, and review your work carefully. With proper preparation, you’ll confidently navigate the NACCAS candidate visit and move one step closer to achieving accreditation.