Accreditation/Certification

This program is accredited by the American Dental Association. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to take the national certification exam offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB).

Third Party Comments:

The program is responsible for soliciting third-party comments from communities of interest such as students and patients that pertain to the standards or policies and procedures used in the Commission’s accreditation process. An announcement for soliciting third-party comments is to be published at least 90 days prior to the site visit. The notice should indicate that third-party comments are due in the Commission’s office no later than 60 days prior to the site visit. Please review the entire policy on Third Party Comments in the Commission’s “Evaluation and Operational Policies and Procedures” (EOPP) manual.

Commission On Dental Accreditation Policy On Third Party Comments

The Commission currently publishes, in its accredited lists of programs, the year of the next site visit for each program it accredits. In addition, the Commission posts its spring and fall site visit announcements on the Site Visit Process and Schedule area of the Commission’s website for those programs being site visited in the current and next year. Special site visits and initial accreditation site visits for developing programs may be scheduled after the posting on the Commission’s website; thus, the specific dates of these site visits may not be available for publication. Parties interested in these specific dates (should they be established) are encouraged to contact the Commission office. The Commission will request written comments from interested parties on the CODA website.

The United States Department of Education (USDE) procedures require accrediting agencies to provide an opportunity for third-party comment, either in writing or at a public hearing (at the accrediting agencies’ discretion) with respect to institutions or programs scheduled for review. All comments must relate to accreditation standards for the discipline and required accreditation policies. In order to comply with the Department’s requirement on the use of third-party comment regarding program’s qualifications for accreditation or initial accreditation, the following procedures have been developed.

Those programs scheduled for regular review must solicit third-party comments through appropriate notification of communities of interest and the public such as faculty, students, program administrators, dental-related organizations, patients, and consumers at least ninety (90) days prior to their site visit. The notice should indicate the deadline of sixty (60) days for receipt of third-party comments in the Commission office and should stipulate that signed or unsigned comments will be accepted, that names and/or signatures will be removed from comments prior to forwarding them to the program, and that comments must pertain only to the standards for the particular program or policies and procedures used in the Commission’s accreditation process. The announcement may include language to indicate that a copy of the appropriate accreditation standards and/or the Commission’s policy on third-party comments may be obtained by contacting the Commission by calling 1-312-440-4653 or by email.

All comments submitted must pertain only to the standards relative to the particular program being reviewed or policies and procedures used in the accreditation process. Comments will be screened by Commission staff for relevancy. Signed or unsigned comments will be considered. For comments not relevant to these issues, the individual will be notified that the comment is not related to accreditation and, where appropriate, referred to the appropriate agency.

All relevant comments will have names and/or signatures removed and will then be referred to the program at least fifty (50) days prior to the site visit for review and response. A written response from the program should be provided to the Commission office and the visiting committee fifteen (15) days prior to the site visit. Adjustments may be necessary in the site visit schedule to allow discussion of comments with proper personnel. Negative comments received after the established deadline of sixty (60) days prior to the site visit will be handled as a complaint. Any unresolved issues related to the program’s compliance with the accreditation standards will be reviewed by the visiting committee while on-site.

Programs with the status of initial accreditation, and programs seeking initial accreditation must solicit comment through appropriate notification of communities of interest and the public such as faculty, students, program administrators, dental-related organizations, patients, and consumers utilizing the procedures noted above.

On occasion, programs may be scheduled for special focused or special comprehensive site visits and because of the urgency of the visit, solicitation of third-party comments within the ninety (90) day time-frame may not be possible. However, third party comments must be solicited at the time the program is notified of the Commission’s planned site visit, typically sixty (60) days in advance of the visit. In this case, the timeframe for solicitation of third-party comments will be shortened. The notice should indicate the deadline of thirty (30) days for receipt of third-party comments in the Commission office and should stipulate that signed or unsigned comments will be accepted, that names and/or signatures will be removed from comments prior to forwarding them to the program, and that comments must pertain only to the standards for the particular program or policies and procedures used in the Commission’s accreditation process. All relevant comments will have names and/or signatures removed and will then be referred to the program at least twenty (20) days prior to the site visit for review and response. A written response from the program should be provided to the Commission office and the visiting committee ten (10) days prior to the site visit. Adjustments may be necessary in the site visit schedule to allow discussion of comments with proper personnel. Any unresolved issues related to the program’s compliance with the accreditation standards will be reviewed by the visiting committee while on-site. Negative comments received after the established deadline of thirty (30) days prior to the site visit will be handled as a complaint.

Individuals who are interested in submitting third party comments, may contact the Commission office for submission guidance. Third party comments should be emailed to the appropriate Commission staff; comments should not be sent to the Commission office via the US Postal Service.

Revised: 2/22; 8/19; 8/18; 2/18; 2/16; 2/15; 8/13; 8/12, 8/11, 7/09, 8/02, 1/97; Reaffirmed: 8/13; 8/10, 1/03; Adopted: 7/95

60-DAY DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF COMMENTS IN THE COMMISSION OFFICE. Please email comments to the appropriate CODA staff. Staff emails are found at: https://coda.ada.org/about-coda/coda-staff

Admission

Enrollment in the Dental Assisting program is limited to 24 students. The admissions process is selective. Since the program has limited capacity, some applicants who complete the admissions process may not be admitted. If you are not currently a Spokane Community College student, you must first apply for admission to the college.

Admission Documentation Requirements

To apply, you must submit the following:

• A copy of your high school diploma or GED certificate
• Documentation of at least 4 hours of volunteer or observation experience in any healthcare setting (dental observation is preferred), submitted using the Observation/Volunteer Verification form.
• Priority Application Deadline: June 30
• Final Application Deadline: August 21

Please access our online application to submit your materials.

If you’ve previously applied to another competitive healthcare program using our online portal, login to your existing account

Interviews and Admission Decisions

Short interviews are required for admission and are held on Friday following the application deadline. You will be contacted to schedule your interview. 

Within one week of the interviews, you will receive a letter notifying you of your admission decision. If you are not accepted, you may reapply the following year. If you are accepted, you must attend a mandatory orientation and registration meeting. 

Background Check and Drug Screening

Before the first day of fall classes, you must complete a National Background Check with results acceptable to clinical sites. You are responsible for the cost of the initial background check. 

After admission, you should also expect to complete a 10-panel drug screening within 30 days of your clinical internship, at your own expense, as required by select clinical sites. 

Additional Application Information

• Program start: Fall (selective entry)
• Prerequisites: None. English and Interpersonal Communication may be taken before or during the program
• Program length: 3 quarters
• Students admitted each year: 24
• Application deadline: Last Friday in August
• Admission interviews: First Friday in September
• Program contact: Mrs. Pat Norman,509-533-7301

It is strongly recommended that you meet with the Dental Assisting Department for advising before submitting your application.