The purpose of the standards in all cases is to establish minimum criteria, and the work of the institution is to demonstrate through its narrative response and exhibits that it meets or exceeds the standards. Where the institution does not do things that are specifically identified in the criteria, the self-study should state that the institution does not do this specific item rather than remaining silent. Many accreditation standards are written to include several requirements each of which needs to be addressed separately in the institution’s self-study. Taking time to parse out the various components of each of the standards will ensure that all aspects of the standard are fully addressed in the self-study.
