NACSA Accreditation 

Show your institution that you are an industry leader. Become NACSA Accredited.

What sets NACSA apart from other accrediting bodies? 

Achievable 

The NACSA program is designed for your success. Instead of giving you an overwhelming task of hundreds of standards to meet, we have broken the section down into 4 focus areas. This allows you to work on one focus area at a time. Your team will see success as you will be awarded certification in each section as you go. Once all 4 focus areas have been completed you will be awarded accreditation. This allows for a realistic approach to accreditation for smaller agencies that may not be able to afford the entire accreditation process or may not have the resources. Instead, they can focus on one area and achieve certification in this area.

Recognized 

It is important for an accreditation program to have the prestige to show your administration that your agency is meeting national standards. This is why NACSA Accreditation is essential. The NACSA is the largest association of campus safety administrators in the nation. Your accreditation process will be reviewed by industry leaders and will be evaluated by peers that understand your institution. This gives credibility to your agency and your institution.

Relevant 

NACSA did NOT use municipal standards when establishing the NACSA Accreditation standards. We used subject matter experts that work in OUR industry. We started from scratch and wrote standards that are relevant to our work environment. No longer will you need to comply with standards that don't make sense for a campus enforcement agency, rather, the standards you will meet will make you an industry leader in your field.

Affordable 

For years, campus safety professionals have desired accreditation but simply couldn't get the budget line to complete it. NACSA has developed a realistic approach when it comes to funding the accreditation process. Our first question is, once you are accredited why are you paying each year when the accreditation commission isn't providing you any services? This makes no sense. We do not charge you during the years you are gathering compliance documents. Rather, you pay once every three years. Why? Because we review your documents once every three years and we will NOT charge you a fee when we provide you with no service. Additionally, we utilize technology. Standards can be uploaded to the cloud and reviewed remotely by assessors. We use technology to reduce travel cost and to optimize service for you. Finally, you can spread out your areas of focus so you aren't paying the full amount at once. This allows you to have small and affordable victories as you work towards accreditation. 

How it works

Purchase the level that you want to work towards. You can go in any order, it will not affect the outcome. Once approved you will be sent a cloud based file that has the standard requirements in them. Work on the standards at your own pace. There is no time limit to get the level complete. As you complete standards within the level upload the documented proof to the cloud file. When you are finished notify NACSA and an assessor will review your standards and proofs. If approved you will receive certification in that area. Once you complete the certification in all 4 areas you will be awarded NACSA Accreditation.

Timeline

There is no timeline on the certifications. You can take 2 months or 2 years to complete them. There is a timeline on how far apart the certifications can be from each other when applying for accreditation. When applying for accreditation all certifications must have been awarded within 3 years of each other.

Can you get the standards ahead of time?

No, because there is not timeline on completing the certification, you will not be given the standards until you apply for access to the certification.

What are the four certifications?

Training – In this certification we will review best practices for a security department or campus police department in regard to training of internal staff and institutional staff. National compliance standards will be reviewed and you will provide proof that you are in compliance with the best practices regarding national training standards.

 

 

Personnel – This certification will review hiring and recruiting practices. It will cover FTO and new employee orientation. It will also go in-depth into polices such as employee discipline.

 

 

 

Operations – A certification piece that looks at the general operations of the agency. It will review everything from investigations to the equipment in your patrol vehicles. This is the largest certification section of the accreditation process.

 

 

Compliance – Certification in compliance will cover specific national compliance standards that the institution must meet. The agency will show proof of compliance with these national standards.

 

 

 

The cost

Each certification is $500. This means the total cost of accreditation is $2,000. There is no annual fee.

Re-Accreditation

Your accreditation is valid for 3 years. At the end of the three years you may re-apply for accreditation by uploading your cloud files for review. The cost of review and re-accreditation is $1,000.

Are you interested in becoming accredited? The first step is to fill out the contact form below!