Standards for Programs within Institutions

MEAC Standards for Programs within Institutions

Adopted July 31, 2007

These standards apply to midwifery programs housed within an institution which is accredited by a US Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. The same standards apply to distance learning that apply to other program offerings.

Standard 1: Student Success with Respect to Mission.

A. The program has a mission statement that fits within the mission of the institution.

B. The program measures student success in relation to midwifery educational program objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate in light of the credentials awarded.

C. The program meets the criteria established by MEAC to demonstrate student success:

1. The majority of matriculating students complete the program, including the required clinical experiences, within the timeframe stated in the institution’s materials.

2. More than fifty percent of graduates in the past three years have been certified by the North American Registry of Midwives or are state licensed or licensed in another jurisdiction or are working as midwives or in related fields.

3. At least seventy percent of graduates who sat for the NARM examination in the past three years have been successful.

Standard 2: Curricula

A. The program has a curriculum composed of courses or discrete units of instruction.

B. The program provides a description to students of how they progress through the curriculum.

C. The curriculum fulfills the minimum requirements established by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM).

D. The curriculum incorporates the core competencies established by the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA).

E. The Midwives Model of Care ™ is integrated into the curriculum.

F. All courses have learning objectives, learning activities, learning resources, and evaluation methods.

G. The program has evaluation and planning mechanisms that insure that new developments in midwifery care are addressed in the curriculum; learning resources are current; and evaluation tools/methods support student achievement of the learning objectives.

Standard 3: Faculty

A. All faculty--including midwifery instructors in the core curriculum, other course instructors, and clinical instructors (including preceptors)--meet the qualifications established by MEAC:

1. All midwifery instructors in the core curriculum must be qualified as follows:

a. nationally-certified midwife (CPM, CM, CNM)

or

b. legally recognized in a jurisdiction, province or state

as a practitioner who provides women’s health or

maternity care

or

c. a midwife who has been a primary attendant without

supervision for at least 50 out-of-hospital births and a

minimum of three years.

2. The majority of midwifery program faculty who are teaching core midwifery curriculum must be CPMs or demonstrate equivalent experience.

3. All other course instructors must hold certificates or degrees appropriate to their area of instruction or, when neither certificates nor degrees are available in this subject area, have a minimum of three years experience in the relevant field.

4. All clinical instructors (including preceptors) must be qualified as follows:

a. nationally certified midwife (CPM, CM, CNM)

or

b. legally recognized in a jurisdiction, province or state

as a practitioner who provides women’s health or

maternity care

or

c. a midwife who has been a primary attendant without

supervision for at least 50 out-of-hospital births and a

minimum of three years.

B. Faculty--including midwifery instructors in the core curriculum, other course instructors, and clinical instructors (including preceptors)--are recruited, appointed, and promoted without discrimination in regard to gender, race, marital status, ethnic origin, creed, age, sexual orientation, or disability.

C. Rights and responsibilities of faculty -- midwifery instructors in the

core curriculum, other course instructors, and clinical instructors

(including preceptors) -- are clearly established and include:

1. The right to opportunities to participate in the following:

a. development, implementation, and evaluation of the curriculum

b. evaluation and advancement of students

c. periodic evaluation of student admissions criteria

d. periodic evaluation of program resources, facilities, and services.

2. The right to opportunities for professional growth and training.

3. When applicable, faculty members are responsible for the supervision and evaluation of students,

including any specific duties established by NARM.

D. Faculty performance--including that of midwifery instructors in the core curriculum, other course instructors, and clinical instructors (including preceptors)-- and overall faculty resources are evaluated at least annually to ensure that program objectives are met.

E. The institution and/or program have evaluation and planning mechanisms that insure that the faculty is adequate to meet the learning needs of students.

Standard 4: Facilities, Equipment, Supplies and Other Resources

A. Classroom facilities, equipment, and supplies meet the needs of students and faculty and meet safety standards.

B. Clinical site facilities, equipment, and supplies are sufficient in number to meet the needs of students.

C. Clinical site facilities, equipment, and supplies meet safety

standards.

D. Library resources meet the needs of students and faculty.

E. Administrative office facilities, equipment, and supplies meet the program*’s needs.

Standard 5: Fiscal and Administrative Capacity

A. The program has adequate institutional support.

B. Representatives of the program participate in institutional governance.

C. Qualifications are established for the program’s management staff and the management structure is clearly defined.

D. The program resides within an institution that is accredited by an

agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

E. The midwifery program is legally authorized under applicable state

law and in good standing with other accrediting agencies.

F. Federal regulatory compliance is demonstrated in the following

areas:

1. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

2. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

3. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

4. Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)

Standard 6: Student Services

A. The program, or institution within which the program resides, provides student services, including:

1. Learning materials and resources

2. Advising, counseling, and tutoring

3. New student orientation

4. Financial aid advisement

5. Clinical placement support

6. Career placement services, including information about credentials, practice and/or employment opportunities.

Standard 7: Student Affairs

A. Advertising, information and promotional materials make only

accurate, justifiable and provable claims about the program.

B. Selection and admission of students are based on established criteria

which

1. Identify potential students capable of success;

2. Do not discriminate in regard to gender, race, marital status,

ethnic origin, creed, age, sexual orientation or disability.

C. Policies and procedures are established which address the following:

1. attendance requirements

2. definition, monitoring and reporting of satisfactory academic progress

3. graduation requirements

4. criteria for transfer of credit, prior experience and/or advanced placement

5. minimum and maximum time parameters for completing the program

6. criteria for student evaluation and grading

7. criteria for dismissal

8. tuition payment and refund.

D. A catalog, catalog addendum, program handbook, websites and/or

other documents are provided that clearly inform students prior to

enrolling about the following:

1. the mission of the institution

2. the program objectives

3. the curriculum

4. a list of faculty and faculty qualifications

5. an overview of facilities, equipment and supplies

6. student services

7. admissions criteria, policies and procedures

8. criteria for transfer of credit, prior experience and/or advanced placement

9. attendance requirements

10. criteria for student evaluation and grading

11. satisfactory academic progress requirements

12. criteria for dismissal

13. academic calendar with the schedule for academic terms, school

years, and student completion timelines

14. the cost and location of clinical training opportunities

15. length of program

16. minimum and maximum time parameters for completing the

program

17. requirements for graduation

18. tuition, fees, and all other related expenses

19. the payment and refund schedule

20. requirements for NARM certification

21. if participating in Title IV programs, information on Federal Student Aid programs.

E. An agreement, signed and dated by the student and a school official

when the student begins the program, clearly specifies:

1. The nature and scope of the program

2. The terms of enrollment in the program

3. The services and obligations to which the program is committed, including full disclosure about:

a. clinical training

b. administrative fees and tuition

c. the payment and refund schedule

4. The student’s obligations, financial and otherwise

5. The catalog, addendum, and/or program handbook publication

date, volume number, or unique identifier that applies to the

terms of enrollment.

F. Students are provided with opportunities to participate in program planning and evaluation, policy-making, faculty evaluation, and student services evaluation.

Standard 8: Measures of Program Length

A. The program must include didactic and clinical experience. The clinical component must be at least one calendar year in duration and should include a minimum of 1350 clinical contact hours under supervision and a minimum of 450 didactic instruction contact hours.

B. The institution and/or program has a formula for awarding credits. The generally accepted method used in post-secondary education is:

1. for courses with structured classroom time:

• 15 hours of classroom instruction with 30 hours of additional student effort are equivalent to one semester credit hour.

• 10 hours of classroom instruction with 20 hours of additional student effort are equivalent to one quarter credit hour.

2. for courses with unstructured didactic time, such as distance

learning

• 45 hours of time, including study, discussion groups, relevant presentations, other assignments or projects, and other student effort required to meet course objectives are equivalent to one semester credit hour

• 30 hours of time, including study, discussion groups, relevant presentations, other assignments or projects, and other student effort required to meet course objectives are equivalent to one quarter credit hour.

3. for clinical hours:

• 30 clinical contact hours are equivalent to one semester credit hour

• 20 clinical contact hours are equivalent to one quarter credit hour

Since clinical experiences in midwifery generally do not follow standard time frames (e.g., participation in a birth may involve 3 hours or 30 hours), the program must create a reasonable mechanism for converting clinical experiences to credit hours.

Standard 9: Complaints and Grievance

A. The program and/or institution has a complaint and/or grievance

policy in writing and made available to students, faculty and staff,

which includes the provision that individuals will not be discriminated

against as a consequence of making a complaint.

B. The program and/or institution has a procedure for receiving and

responding to written complaints and grievances from students,

faculty, and staff in a timely manner that ensures the fair and

consistent application of all policies, and addresses confidentiality

concerns.

C. Records of complaints and grievances are maintained by the program

and/or institution and are accessible to MEAC officials.

D. The program materials inform students about the grievance policies

of MEAC and of any relevant state regulatory bodies and provide

contact information for each.