Accreditation Outcomes: Does Program Director Experience Matter?

Purpose: The program director (PD) is responsible for providing effective leadership and possessing knowledge of accreditation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a PD's experience in higher education affects the accreditation outcome.

Methods: This cross-sectional study includes Physician Assistant (PA) programs that underwent an accreditation visit between January 2012 and January 2022. Data analysis was primarily descriptive, stratified by demographic variables, and outcomes of accreditation standards. Inferential analysis included chi-squared tests of statistical independence.

Results: The chi-squared analysis test of statistical independence of PD's experience and accreditation decision identified a statistically significant association between the PD's experience as a PD and the accreditation outcome for continuing reviews. However, a minimum of 3 years of experience in higher education and the accreditation outcome were statistically independent for provisional and continuing reviews.

Conclusion: Few PDs are hired with more than 3 years of PD experience, but they tend to have more higher education or PA program educational experience. A PD's years of higher education experience was not associated with accreditation outcome, which may suggest that other supports are more critical for achieving and maintaining accreditation.