Preparing a Program in Sociological Practice for an Accreditation Review and Site Visit By Capacs

Dr. Norma Winston, CAPACS Vice Chair, will discuss the CAPACS Site Visit Process, particularly organizing and hosting meetings with university administrators, internship site supervisors, and program faculty and students. She will address how applicant programs can prepare for CAPACS accreditation, and provide examples of how students' benefit from their tangible practice experiences, from her perspectives as a Review Committee Chair, Department Chair, and Program Director. Particular attention will focus on how successful CAPACS-accredited programs, and their host institutions, assume responsibility for the students they admit, educate, and train, as part of a growing trend in incorporating “experiential education” in higher education. Programs sow strong, supportive alumni by building relationships with business, community, and government leaders, and leveraging institutional resources, such as internship and career services, in placing program students into meaningful internships, supervised field work, and practica, where many alumni find employment after graduation.