State Authorization Procedure

The Executive Director of the Office of Accountability & Strategic Initiatives will be the single point of contact to coordinate, assist, and secure authorization from states that require educational institutions to be legally authorized in their state prior to:

1. offering online/distance education programs/courses to students residing in that state, or
2. establishing any physical presence within that state, as defined by the regulations of that state.

The Office of Accountability & Strategic Initiatives and the Distance Learning Administrator will maintain information needed to determine eligibility in states and to complete authorization requests as necessary. The Office of Accountability & Strategic Initiatives will maintain a current database of out-of-state students enrolled in CCC&TI distance learning programs/courses. Human Resources will maintain an up-to-date list of instructors living out of state.

Process:

The Executive Director of the Office of Accountability & Strategic Initiatives is charged with ensuring compliance with any state authorization requirements for CCC&TI through the following steps:

1. Act as the clearinghouse to assist academic units that offer online/distance education courses or programs to students residing in other states to obtain authorization in those states as necessary.
2. Monitor and maintain information related to other states’ post-secondary authorization requirements.
3. Maintain point of contact information for each state’s authorization agency/agencies and correspond with points of contact as necessary.
4. Track enrollment of students from other states in CCC&TI courses delivered by online/distance learning instructional methods and notify department chairs and the Executive Vice President of any changes in out-of-state enrollment. (Note: Some states require authorization for faculty residing in the state.)
5. Monitor new programs and courses in which students residing in other states might enroll to determine if the program/course meets an exemption status or if authorization must be obtained from a state or states when a need for authorization is determined.
6. Monitor programs and courses requiring an internship, co-op, clinical, or other on-the-ground instruction in other states for possible physical presence triggers.
7. Initiate the authorization process for the required state or states.
8. Establish and monitor renewal cycles for states from which authorization has been obtained.
9. Provide website updates to the college webmaster on how to file a complaint with accrediting agencies and relevant state approval authorities that USDOE requires to be available to students on the CCC&TI website.
10. Provide website updates to the college webmaster informing out-of-state students of current CCC&TI state approval and authorization to offer online and distance education.
11. Keep current concerning federal revisions of state authorization regulations and of progress of adoption of the national reciprocity agreement, SARA.