Key Responsibilities

The Academic Accreditation Panel (AAP) oversees two primary activity areas:

  • Training, overall supervision, and assignment of Program Evaluators (PEVs) on behalf of AIHA for IH and the Health Physics Society (HPS) for health physics-related programs. Refer to the end of the document for an explanation of the MOU between AIHA and HPS.
  • Periodic review of IH program criteria as prescribed under ABET’s accreditation practice and proposing modifications when needed.

Structure

The panel is to be comprised of at least ten (10) members representing IH/OEHS faculty and practitioners (as equally split as possible). Members include the pool of PEVs. Members may serve two (2) consecutive five-year terms. To ensure an adequate cadre of PEVs, exceptions to this rule may apply. Individuals may re-apply following a one-year hiatus.

The AAP is led by an AIHA member serving as Chair. Other officers are the Vice-Chair and Past Chair. For each of these positions, individuals may serve up to three (3) consecutive one-year terms, for a total of up to nine (9) consecutive years of service. The Vice-Chair becomes the Chair once the Chair steps down, who then serves as Past Chair. Terms commence at the end of AIHce.

An AIHA Board Liaison is appointed by the AIHA President; this individual does not serve as an officer or a member. The AAP is responsible for appointing its Vice-Chair from among those committee members who have served at least two (2) consecutive years (AAP).

Selection and Qualifications

The process of selecting the new AAP members begins with an open call for applications from the AIHA membership. Applications are reviewed, and selections are made by the AAP Chair and Vice-Chair with guidance from the AIHA Board Liaison and AIHA staff.

AIHA will strive to maintain a broad diversity of members, with the caveat that depth of experience and knowledge in academic programs is paramount.

AAP members shall:

  • Be CIH-credentialed members of AIHA and/or CHP-credentialed members of HPS
  • Be current ABET volunteers
  • Reflect faculty from ABET-accredited IH or health physics programs
  • Represent a balanced representation of faculty and industry representatives

AAP members should:

  • Have knowledge and expertise in evaluating academic programs
  • Demonstrate solid leadership skills with the ability to be thoughtful, deliberative, and decisive
  • Work collaboratively in a group setting
  • Professionally manage differences of opinion with peers
  • Speak “as with one voice,” supporting decisions once made
  • Represent the profession as a whole and not just one practice area or specialty
  • Envision goals, both long-term and strategic, as well as short-term and tactically
  • Perform their duty in a fair, consistent, defensible, and transparent manner
  • Attend periodic virtual or conference call meetings

Duties of Various Stakeholders

AIHA Professional Communities Staff

  • Serves as the AIHA staff liaison for the Panel
  • Maintains all Panel administrative documents
  • Supports the Board Liaison in updating the AIHA Board as needed, at least once annually
  • Engage other AIHA staff as appropriate to support the Panel and its projects and initiatives

Other AIHA Staff Functions

  • Media Contact: Served by AIHA’s Managing Director, Strategic Communications, External Affairs
  • Billing Contact: Served by AIHA’s Managing Director, Operations

AAP Chair

  • Serve as the primary AIHA member on ABET’s Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission (ANSAC)
  • Leads and coordinates the activities of the AAP
  • Initiates open-call process for new members as warranted
  • Participates in the selection of new members and establishment of the rotation schedule
  • Establishes an annual work plan for the AAP, in coordination with the AIHA Professional Community within the AIHA budget development timeline
  • Prepares and submits an annual report on the AAP’s activities
  • Makes a recommendation about the appointment of the Vice-Chair

AAP Vice-Chair

  • Assists the AAP Chair in the performance of his/her duties
  • Participates in the selection of new AAP members
  • Prepares the minutes of the AAP conference calls and in-person meetings
  • Participate in calls and meetings as scheduled
  • Put forth their best efforts to the collective effort of the AAP
  • Support staff with the promotion of collaborative efforts to engage the right volunteers
  • Executive responsibilities in a timely manner
  • Follow up on assigned duties from the Chair, as appropriate
  • Are responsible for nominating representatives to serve on the ABET ANSAC Board of Delegates and Area Delegates bodies

AAP Past Chair

  • Assists the AAP Chair in the performance of his/her duties if the Vice-Chair is not available
  • Participates in the selection of new AAP members

AAP Members

  • Participate in calls and meetings as scheduled
  • Put forth their best efforts to the collective effort of the AAP
  • Support staff with the promotion of collaborative efforts to engage the right volunteers
  • Execute responsibilities in a timely manner
  • Follow up on assigned duties from the Chair, as appropriate
  • Are responsible for nominating representatives to serve on the ABET ANSAC Board of Delegates and Area Delegates bodies

ABET

*AIHA and Health Physics Society (HPS) have executed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), wherein AIHA is the lead society for health physics academic education program accreditation under ABET. Under the terms of the MOU, while HPS has discontinued its participation as a member society of ABET, they continue to be the source of PEVs for health physics education programs. HPS compensates AIHA annually for the lead society fee for each ABET, Inc.-accredited health physics academic education program for which AIHA serves as the lead society. In addition, HPS compensates AIHA annually in the amount of 20% of the society member fee charged by ABET, Inc., as well as for any direct expenses incurred by AIHA in the performance of its obligations as the lead society for health physics academic education program accreditation, which includes training of program evaluators for health physics academic education programs.

Metrics of Success

Timely appointment, and training of PEVs each year:

  • Timely completion of PEV visits to schools per ABET’s schedule
  • Timely review and thoughtful input of suggested enhancements to ABET’s IH criteria periodically (i.e., no more frequently than every 2 to 3 years), reflective of perspectives from multiple stakeholder groups
Topics AIHA