COPRA & Staff
NASPAA’s Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA) is the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)-recognized accreditation body for master's degree programs in public and nonprofit policy, affairs, and administration globally.
COPRA consists of 14 members, 13 of which are academic professionals and one who is a current practitioner. Its regularly rotating membership consists of individuals with overlapping three-year terms. COPRA meets twice annually to discuss accreditation decisions and policies.
For the current Roster of Commissioners, please refer here.
COPRA is also proud to work closely with both the NASPAA Standards Committee and the Eligibility Committee. As per NASPAA’s Bylaws, the NASPAA Standards Committee “shall develop and maintain appropriate standards for masters programs in public affairs and administration.” The Eligibility Committee, a three-person committee, reviews Eligibility Applications and makes recommendations to the Commission regarding the fitness of programs for the self-study process.
COPRA and the accreditation process are supported directly by three NASPAA staff members. Please feel free to contact NASPAA’s accreditation staff with any questions or concerns, using copra@naspaa.org or the contact information below:
Fabiola Bachinelo, Chief Accreditation Officer
Shaun Gabrielli, Accreditation Associate
Veronica Kovach, Accreditation Associate
NASPAA RECOGNITION & MEMBERSHIP
NASPAA-COPRA is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit master’s degree programs in public and nonprofit policy, affairs, and administration globally. Recognition by CHEA affirms that the standards and processes of the accrediting organization are consistent with the academic quality, improvement and accountability expectations that CHEA has established. To view NASPAA-COPRA's most recent re-recognition self-study, click here.
NASPAA-COPRA is a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA), a membership organization that seeks to advance the knowledge, skills, good practices, and ethical commitments of accreditors. COPRA abides by ASPA’s Code of Good Practice.
NASPAA-COPRA is a member of The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) is a world-wide association of some 200 organizations active in the theory and practice of quality assurance in higher education.