Diversity is an inclusive concept which encompasses, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, class, gender, age, sexuality, ability, educational attainment, first-generation status, spiritual beliefs, creed, culture, tribal affiliation, nationality, immigration status, political beliefs, and veteran status^[1]. PAB embraces the belief that by achieving diversity and inclusion, accredited university planning programs will promote an ethos of equity by educating and preparing students to advance the practice of planning through cultural competency and a greater understanding of the systems, practices and policies that perpetuate racism and discrimination.  Realizing these goals and objectives in the accreditation process is an ongoing process that requires commitment and accountability for meaningful progress to occur.

^[1] APA, Planning for Equity Policy Guide, 2019
Approved by PAB Executive Committee, February 18, 2021

The Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) recognizes the growing importance of international flows of ideas and personnel in the planning profession, and the interest among planning schools outside the United States in interactions with PAB. At the same time, PAB has determined that it does not yet have sufficient understanding or experience to launch a broad program of quality assurance services outside the U.S.

In 2012 PAB formed a special purpose international task force charged with data collection, consultation, and discussion. In 2014 PAB accepted the task force report which calls for PAB to take two first steps toward greater involvement overseas, reflective of the complexity and sensitivity of the issues involved. First, in the coming years PAB will seek input from planning school associations and planner associations outside the United States in order to advance its understanding of international planning school quality assurance questions. Second, PAB will develop procedures to perform accreditation reviews of planning programs at CHEA-recognized regionally-accredited U.S. higher education institutions operating outside the U.S. and Canada. These two actions are seen as important to building the knowledge and experience necessary for PAB to better assess the larger questions of its role in international quality assurance of planning schools in the future. These efforts, however, are strategically secondary so will follow ongoing efforts with regard to the implementation of new PAB standards, the redesign of PAB’s training efforts, and the preparation for accreditation of planning programs offered in a distance education format.

PAB is indebted to the Site Visitors, AICP, APA and ACSP officers, individual planners and planning scholars with international experience, representatives of planning schools outside the U.S., and the other accrediting bodies who gave of their time and expertise to help inform these decisions.

Approved in 2014