At its July 2024 Board meeting, the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) proposed to add Programmatic Outcomes to the Accreditation Standards for Degree Advancement (DA) Programs in Respiratory Care.
The CoARC is now conducting a second Call for Comments to encourage broader participation in the Standards revision process and requests that any member of the community of interest* please provide their feedback.
The proposed DA Programmatic Outcomes (as well as a FAQ), are available on the CoARC website at https://coarc.com/accreditation/degree-advancement-standards/.
Deadline for Written Comments:
Comments must be received by Monday, November 10, 2025, and should be addressed to Shelley Christensen (shelley@coarc.com)
Submitting Written Comments:
Written comments must:
- Be related to the Proposed Degree Advancement DA Programmatic Outcomes
- Include the commenter’s full name, affiliation or relationship to the profession (e.g., student, educator, employer, clinical preceptor, community member), and contact information (email and phone)
- Be signed (typed signature acceptable if submitted electronically)
The CoARC Degree Advancement Programs Committee will review feedback, and revisions will continue until final approval.
*CoARC’s communities of interest include:
- Matriculated and prospective students of RC programs
- Respiratory care educators (PDs, DCEs, Medical Directors, faculty)
- Individuals associated with RC educational program (CEOs, Deans, Advisory Committee members)
- Individuals involved in the accreditation process (CoARC employees, site visitors)
- Professional organizations associated with CoARC
- American Association for Respiratory Care, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Thoracic Society, the Society for Critical Care Medicine, the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, and the National Board for Respiratory Care
- Practitioners
- Employers of graduates of CoARC-accredited programs
- Respiratory care department supervisors
- Consumers (patients)
- Regulators (licensure boards, state and federal higher education agencies)
- Recognition bodies (Council for Higher Education Accreditation)
- Accreditors (regional, national, and specialized accreditors)
- Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors
- Other health care professionals and organizations.
If you have any questions regarding this Call for Comments, don’t hesitate to contact us.
