Our institution just received notice that AAALAC International will be conducting a “drop-in” visit. How does this differ from our routinely scheduled site visit and what are its implications?
Since 1989, and with endorsement of AAALAC’s Board of Trustees, AAALAC has conducted drop-in visits—both “for cause” and “not-for-cause.” While very rare, drop-in visits of either type may occur between the routinely scheduled triennial visits. In both cases, relatively short notice (one day to a few days) of the pending drop-in visit is provided. The scope of the drop-in visit is typically very focused; more rarely, the entire animal care and use program may be reviewed during a drop-in visit. Costs for the drop-in visit are absorbed by AAALAC. Occasionally, a site visit team will conduct a drop-in visit to an institution in an area where a routinely scheduled visit is occurring at another organization. These visits may be prompted by significant programmatic changes that have occurred at the institution subsequent to the routine site visit, such as critical organizational changes, an about-face in a commitment made to Council (e.g., re-opening an animal housing area that had been clo
