Should ACOTE have a global focus?

I read the ACOTE Director's Update - January 2025 with interest as it reported new Vision, Mission, and Values statements for ACOTE as follows:

VISION: Lead, innovate, and advance occupational therapy education in a global environment.
MISSION: Support quality, inclusion, and innovation to advance entry-level occupational therapy education.
VALUES: Quality; Innovation; Collaboration; Inclusion; Integrity.

For reference, the previous ACOTE statements were:

VISION: Committed to the establishment, promotion, and evaluation of standards of quality in occupational therapy education. To this end, ACOTE will lead in the development of effective collaborative partnerships with the communities of interest, both internal and external to the profession of occupational therapy, which are affected by its activities.

MISSION: Ensures quality occupational therapy education by developing accreditation standards and verifying implementation to support the preparation of competent occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants.

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In particular I was interested in the new Vision statement that mentions a 'global environment.' This phrase suggests an aspiration to influence occupational therapy education worldwide, but there is no explicit mention of how ACOTE would address the vast disparities in educational standards around the globe.  It is factual that ACOTE already accredits programs outside the USA, but having only three such programs globally indicates that its influence in a 'global environment' is currently limited. Vision statements are often aspirational but I am wondering if this is sufficiently grounded in ACOTE's current capabilities. Without significant expansions in resources or partnerships, this appears to be misaligned with reality.

I am uncertain if ACOTE is interested in harmonizing global standards or simply providing guidance and opportunity for programs who are interested and able to achieve its standards. I would like to hear more from them about this. The current minimal international uptake raises questions about the appeal of this objective - or even whether or not the objectives of ACOTE standards are aligned with the needs of other regions around the globe. I have heard criticisms about Western-centric values not always fitting well.

Additionally, ACOTE is currently housed with AOTA - the AMERICAN Occupational Therapy Association.  AOTA doesn't have any internationally-expansive language in its mission or vision.  That also calls to question whether or not ACOTE is functioning within the parameters of its parent organization. Additionally, expanding globally might divert attention and resources from addressing pressing issues in USA occupational therapy education - which I blogged about this time last year.

There is compelling public interest in the ACOTE mission and vision because it is a quasi-regulatory agency that falls under the rulesets of the United States government's Department of Education. They are not the only US-based occupational therapy organization with a global vision though - NBCOT also has some language in their vision about 'practice worldwide.' However, after initial certification, participation with the NBCOT credential is optional. I have questions about the appropriateness of the NBCOT language as well - there are elements to health care delivery in the USA that just don't apply in other countries. Aspirational vision statements are fine - but I think they need to be grounded in mission statements and practice reality.

I think that since ACOTE has its roots within AOTA that there is a general impression that its standards are designed primarily for USA contexts. If ACOTE seeks to expand globally, I think it should be more explicit with its objectives and collaborate with international bodies to ensure that its standards are inclusive and relevant. It also needs to ensure that moving to a global interest doesn't dilute the core mission of accreditation relevance for the American context.

I would like to see more conversation on this topic, given the publication of this new vision statement.

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