The Occupational Therapy Program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 4720 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 6522682.

Our site visit occurred on February 21-23, 2000 at which time the site team reported 15 identified strengths and no deficiencies. ACOTE reviewed and supported the recommendations of the site team awarding the Program the highest level support, 10 years until the next accreditation review. Listed below are the identified strengths of the Program:

The major strengths of the program as identified by the site visitation team:

1. The Administration is commended for its vision and support of the Program as evidenced by its human and material resource allocation; contingency plans for student recruitment in a changing and uncertain health care environment and its commitment to alternative strategies to sustain the Program's development.
2. The Program Director is commended for strong, visionary leadership as evidenced by the assemblage of a world class faculty and the support of their continuing professional development; life-long dedication to the profession and consistent participation in the broad professional community.
3. The faculty is commended for the breadth and depth of its degrees, credentials, teaching skills and professional productivity as evidenced by students evaluation of courses, research record and visibility and respect in the local and national professional communities.
4. Faculty responsible for courses ANA 5516 Gross Anatomy and ANA 5533 Neuroanatomy, are commended for their contributions to the program as evidenced by tight course integration with the Program curriculum and positive statements by students.
5. The Fieldwork Coordinator is commended for managing a well-organized fieldwork process and her success in the role of liaison between academic and clinical communities as evidenced by her communication skills and respect expressed by fieldwork educators, faculty and students.
6. The fieldwork educators represent a broad spectrum of practice and are commended for their dedication to the profession and to clinical education, particularly in the uncertain and highly changeable environment of contemporary health care.
7. The students represent diverse populations and undergraduate educational backgrounds. They are clear about their career goals and understanding of the profession. They are self-directed and self-confident in their abilities and preparation for professional practice. They exhibit leadership potential for the future as evidenced by reports of fieldwork performance.
8. There is a strong commitment to research to advance the profession and the development of student research skills throughout the curriculum.
9. Evidence indicates an integrated, layered curriculum that recognized and builds upon the developmental needs of the students.
10. Outstanding Level I Fieldwork is well integrated with coursework.
11. There is a strong commitment to diversity as reflected by course content, faculty and students.
12. There is a high level of communication and collaboration among faculty that serves to integrate curriculum design and student learning experiences.
13. Students identify the admission process, including the prospective student interview, as reflecting the values of the profession.
14. The "jump start" program provides early exposure of the students to the history and values of the profession; orients the student to the NSU Program; helps the students adjust to the expectations of the Program and establishes a supportive cohort of students.
15. The tight integration of the entry-level masters program with the newly developed DrOT and Ph.D. programs provides outstanding opportunities for continuing professional laddering and reinforcement for life long learning.