Policies and Governance
NCOPE’s bylaws, policies and position statements, and how to raise a concern.
Governing documents
- BylawsNCOPE’s purposes, Board of Directors composition and terms, officers and committees. Amended September 8, 2021.
- Policy and Procedure ManualBoard policies for governance and finance, academic program accreditation with CAAHEP, and residency program services, including accreditation statuses, site visits, complaints and appeals. Amended May 2026.
- NCOPE Position StatementsState licensure, non-compete agreements in residency, and the O&P Alliance open letter on sexual misconduct, harassment and discrimination.
Workplace culture
NCOPE and the O&P Alliance organizations support zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, harassment and discrimination, and for retaliation against anyone who reports it. NCOPE’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct applies the same zero tolerance of harassment to its Board, volunteers and staff.
Raise a concern
Formal residency complaints
NCOPE reviews allegations that an accredited residency program or a registered resident is not complying with NCOPE’s residency standards. Use the program’s internal process first unless there is a valid reason not to. A formal complaint must identify the complainant and include permission to share the complaint with the program, as explained on the form. NCOPE’s accreditation review does not decide individual disputes about admission, contracts, discrimination, promotion or dismissal, although the conduct behind such a dispute may still raise a question about compliance with the standards.
Academic programs: accreditation complaints about a CAAHEP-accredited program go through CAAHEP’s complaint process.
Professional ethics: for concerns involving an ABC credential holder, see ABC’s Professional Ethics Program. For concerns involving a BOC certificant, see BOC’s complaint policies and procedures.
General questions: Contact NCOPE