Workshop Title:
“Roots to Radiance: The Evolution of CCIE Accreditation and the 2026 Standards Revision”
Workshop Description:
This session traces the historical foundations and evolving impact of the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE) within the broader trajectory of interpreter education accreditation. Grounded in the conference theme “Roots to Radiance,” the presentation highlights the early collaborative work of CIT, RID, and stakeholder organizations that established the first educational standards more than 25 years ago, laying the groundwork for CCIE’s formal establishment in 2006.
Participants will explore how these foundational efforts have developed into a comprehensive accreditation system that supports program quality, accountability, and professionalization. The session will highlight key milestones in the development and revision of CCIE Standards, with particular emphasis on the 2026 revision. Updates will include changes related to outcomes-based assessment, Deaf-centered pedagogy, faculty qualifications, and program alignment with contemporary professional expectations.
The presentation will also provide current updates on CCIE’s accreditation activities, recognized programs, and ongoing initiatives. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of both the historical roots and current innovations shaping interpreter education accreditation, with practical insights for engaging in accreditation and continuous program improvement.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Describe at least three key historical milestones in the development of interpreter education accreditation leading to the establishment of CCIE.
2) Identify a minimum of three changes introduced in the 2026 CCIE Standards revision and explain their implications for program design or evaluation.
3) Apply one actionable strategy for aligning an interpreter education program with current CCIE accreditation requirements or continuous improvement processes.
Bio:
Len Roberson, PhD, has been involved in the field of interpreting for over 35 years. He is the program director of the ASL/English interpreting program at the University of North Florida, and an active researcher, interpreter, and interpreter educator. He is a certified Master Reviewer with Quality Matters, a certified Master Online Teacher, and has ACUE certification in Effective Teaching Practices. His current research interests include admissions screenings and curriculum and accreditation of interpreter education programs, and online teaching and learning. He is the current President of CCIE and editor for the Journal of Interpretation, published by RID.
Daniel Maffia is the Practicum and Community Coordinator and a principal lecturer with the Department of American Sign Language and English Interpreting Department’s Interpreter Education Program at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, teaching at both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree level. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Interpreting at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2009. In 2010, he became certified, and in 2014 earned his Master’s in Interpreting Studies with an emphasis in Teaching Interpreting from Western Oregon University. Daniel served as a staff interpreter in the Department of Access Services at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Daniel continues interpreting as a video and community interpreter. Daniel is the co-author of the Introduction to VRS Curriculum Guide book. He is currently the Vice President of CCIE. Daniel’s research interests relate to reflective practice, Demand-Control Schema, and self-care in which he presents workshops for interpreters nationally and internationally.
Dr. Barbara Shaffer (RID: SC:L CI/CT, NAD-V) is a Professor in the Signed Language Interpreting Program in the Department of Linguistics at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Shaffer’s research interests include the grammaticalization of signed languages, stance markers in American Sign Language, intersubjectivity in discourse, and intersubjectivity in interpreted interactions. With her colleague, Terry Janzen, Barb recently published the volume Signed Language and Gesture Research in Cognitive Linguistics. She and Dr. Janzen are currently finishing up a book entitled Intersubjectivity in Interpretation: A Cognitive View of Interpreter-Mediated Discourse.
RID CEUs Offered: .15