Self-Study Reports

The Self-Study Reports feature allows administrators to create and manage accreditation self-study reports using AI-powered workflow automation. This is a Pro Plan feature that helps institutions prepare comprehensive accreditation documentation.

Overview

Self-study reports are essential documents for accreditation visits. This feature provides a complete workflow for:

• Uploading evidence documents
• AI-powered narrative generation for accreditation standards
• Automatic evidence binding
• Professional report generation and export

The system uses a database-driven workflow that processes standards in parallel, with real-time status updates.

Note: This is a Pro Plan feature (currently in Beta). Non-Pro users will see an upgrade prompt with information about Pro plan benefits.

Getting Started

Creating a Self-Study

1. Navigate to Self-Studies from the main navigation
2. Click "New Self-Study"
3. Fill in the required information:
   • Name: A descriptive name for your self-study (e.g., "BSN Program Self-Study 2025")
   • Accreditation Body: Select from:
     • CCNE: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
     • ACEN: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
     • CNEA: Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (coming soon)
   • Current Cycle: Enter the accreditation cycle (e.g., "2025-2026")
4. Click "Create Self-Study"

What Happens Automatically:

• A Gemini File Search store is created for document indexing (required for document uploads)
• Accreditation standards are automatically imported based on the selected accreditation body (CCNE or ACEN)
• Standards are organized hierarchically by standard number and substandard
• The self-study is ready for document upload and AI processing

Note: If the Gemini File Search store creation fails, you'll see a warning but the self-study will still be created. You can create the store manually from the portal.

Accessing a Self-Study Portal

Click on any self-study in the list to open its portal, or use the "View portal" option from the actions menu.

Self-Study Portal

The portal has three main tabs that guide you through the accreditation report creation process.

Tab 1: Upload Documents

This is where you upload evidence documents that will be used to generate accreditation narratives.

Gemini File Search Store

Before uploading documents, a Gemini File Search store must be created. This happens automatically when you create a self-study, but if it's missing:

1. You'll see a warning banner at the top of the tab
2. Click "Create Store" to set it up
3. Once created, you can proceed with document uploads

Uploading Documents

Supported File Types:

• PDF documents
• Word documents (.doc, .docx)
• Images (.jpg, .jpeg, .png)
• Maximum file size: 10MB per file

Upload Methods:

• Drag and Drop: Drag files directly into the upload area
• Browse: Click "Select Files" to choose files from your computer
• Bulk Upload: Select multiple files at once

Document Status: Documents show their processing status:

• Pending: Uploaded but not yet processed
• Processing: Currently being indexed by Gemini File Search (may take a few minutes)
• Ready: Successfully processed and available for evidence binding
• Error: Processing failed (click the retry button to try again)

What to Upload:

• Student handbooks
• Policy manuals
• NCLEX passing rates
• Exam results
• Syllabi and course outlines
• Student enrollment data
• Demographics
• Faculty CVs and qualifications
• Program assessment reports
• Any other accreditation-related documentation

AI Insights Sync

The system can automatically sync AI Insights reports from your institution's AI Insights system:

1. Click "Sync AI Insights" button
2. The system will find the 5 most recent AI insights for your institution
3. These insights are uploaded to Gemini File Search and become available as evidence
4. AI insights appear in the documents list with a purple sparkle icon

AI Insight Status:

• Pending: Not yet synced
• Processing: Being uploaded to Gemini File Search
• Ready: Available for use in narratives
• Error: Upload failed (can be retried)

Managing Documents

• Search: Use the search bar to find specific documents or AI insights
• Delete: Click the trash icon to remove a document (this also removes it from Gemini File Search)
• View: Documents are stored in Supabase Storage and can be accessed via their storage URLs

Tab 2: Draft Standards with AI

This tab shows all accreditation standards organized by standard number. Each standard can be processed by the AI agent to generate narrative responses.

Standard Organization

Standards are grouped hierarchically:

• Standard Number (e.g., "Standard I", "Standard 1")
• Substandards within each standard (e.g., "I-A", "I-B", "1.1", "1.2")

Click the chevron to expand/collapse each standard group.

Running the AI Agent

For Individual Standards: Each substandard card has controls to:

• Run AI Agent: Start the workflow for that standard
• Reset: Clear all drafts and evidence, start fresh
• View Drafts: See generated narrative responses

For All Standards: Use the menu (three horizontal dots) in the portal header:

• Run AI agent: Processes all standards that don't have existing status
• Reset and re-run: Deletes all existing work and restarts all standards

Workflow Process

The AI agent follows this workflow for each standard:

1. Research: Analyzes the standard requirements and searches your document library
2. Drafting: Generates a narrative response using evidence from uploaded documents
3. Auditing: Reviews the draft for completeness and compliance
4. Finalization: Marks the standard as complete

Workflow Status Indicators:

• Pending: Not yet started
• Thinking/Researching: AI is analyzing the standard
• Drafting: Generating narrative response
• Auditing: Reviewing the draft
• Completed: Standard is finalized
• Error: Something went wrong (can be retried)

Real-Time Updates

The system uses Supabase Realtime subscriptions to update status automatically. You'll see status changes in real-time without refreshing the page.

Editing Drafts

• Click on a standard card to view and edit the generated narrative
• Drafts auto-save as you type
• You can edit AI-generated content to customize it for your institution
• Evidence references are automatically included in the narrative

Tab 3: Final Draft

This tab shows the complete, formatted self-study report ready for submission.

Report Structure

The final draft includes:

• Title Page: Accreditation body, cycle, and generation date
• Standards Sections: All standards with their narrative responses
• References: Unified list of all documents referenced across all standards
• Appendix: Links to supporting documents

Viewing the Report

• Standards are organized hierarchically by standard number
• Each substandard shows:
  • The standard ID and text
  • The narrative response (formatted as markdown)
  • Evidence references (if any)
  • Individual references section

Downloading the Report

Click the download icon to generate a ZIP file containing:

• Main Report: A DOCX file with the complete self-study report
• References Folder: All referenced documents organized by citation number
  • Evidence documents (PDFs, Word docs, images)
  • AI Insight reports (converted to DOCX)

Download Process:

1. Click the download button
2. The system generates the DOCX report
3. Collects all referenced documents
4. Creates a ZIP file with everything organized
5. Downloads automatically to your computer

File Naming:

• ZIP file: {accreditation-body}-self-study-{cycle}_{date}.zip
• Main report: {accreditation-body}-self-study-{cycle}_{date}.docx
• Reference files: Document_{citation-number}_{filename}

Managing Self-Studies

Self-Studies List Page

The main page shows all self-studies for your institution in a table format.

Table Columns:

• Name: Self-study name
• Accrediting Body: CCNE, ACEN, etc.
• Cycle: Current accreditation cycle
• Created: Creation date
• Actions: Dropdown menu with options

Actions Menu:

• View portal: Open the self-study portal
• Edit: Update the name and cycle
• Delete: Remove the self-study (deletes all associated data)

Editing a Self-Study

1. Click the actions menu (three dots) on a self-study
2. Select "Edit"
3. Update the name and/or cycle
4. Click "Update Self-Study"

Deleting a Self-Study

1. Click the actions menu
2. Select "Delete self-study"
3. Confirm the deletion

Warning: This will delete:

• All standards and their drafts
• All evidence documents
• All workflow states
• All evidence bindings

This action cannot be undone.

Workflow Details

Database-Driven Processing

The workflow is database-driven, not polling-based:

• Workflow states are stored in the database
• Functions process standards based on database state
• Real-time subscriptions update the UI automatically
• Multiple standards can be processed in parallel

Evidence Binding

When the AI agent generates narratives:

1. It searches your uploaded documents using Gemini File Search
2. Finds relevant evidence for each standard
3. Automatically creates evidence bindings
4. Includes citations in the narrative
5. References are numbered sequentially across all standards

Status Tracking

Each standard has a workflow state that tracks:

• Current step (research, drafting, auditing)
• Status (pending, thinking, drafting, auditing, completed, error)
• Error messages (if any)
• Last completed step

Best Practices

1. Upload Documents First: Upload all evidence documents before running the AI agent
2. Sync AI Insights: Sync relevant AI insights to include institutional data
3. Review Drafts: Always review and edit AI-generated narratives
4. Check Evidence: Verify that evidence references are appropriate
5. Run Standards Sequentially: For large self-studies, consider running standards in batches
6. Save Regularly: Drafts auto-save, but download the final report regularly
7. Backup Documents: Keep copies of uploaded documents outside the system

Troubleshooting

Document Processing Stuck

If a document shows "Processing" for more than 10 minutes:

1. Click the retry button (circular arrow) next to the document
2. This will restart the Gemini File Search upload process

AI Agent Not Starting

If the AI agent doesn't start for a standard:

1. Check that documents are uploaded and processed (status: "Ready")
2. Try resetting the standard and running again
3. Check for error messages in the standard card

Missing Gemini Store

If you see "Gemini File Search store not found":

1. Click "Create Store" button
2. Wait for creation to complete
3. Refresh the page if needed

Standards Not Importing

If standards don't appear after creating a self-study:

1. Check the browser console for errors
2. Verify the accreditation body is supported (CCNE or ACEN)
3. Try editing the self-study and saving again

Related Features

• AI Insights: Sync AI-generated insights as evidence
• Accreditation Suite: Access accreditation tools and resources
• Compliance: Compliance documents are also available for evidence binding

Best Practices

1. Early Preparation: Start preparing reports well in advance
2. Data Accuracy: Verify all data before including in reports
3. Regular Updates: Update reports as new data becomes available
4. Review Process: Have multiple reviewers check reports
5. Documentation: Keep all supporting evidence organized

Related Features

• Accreditation Suite: Access AI insights and recommendations
• Reports: Generate supporting data reports
• Curriculum Mapping: Map curriculum to standards
• Settings: Configure report templates and preferences