As part of the new regulations on state authorization from the Department of Education, states will play a more active role in the oversight of postsecondary institutions. Institutions participating in Title IV would have to document—on request—that their institution is in compliance with every state that asserts the right to register an institution, even when that institution is teaching online from another state outside of its borders.
In light of this historic development, and on behalf of the Chair of the Accrediting Commission, Dr. Tim Mott, DETC has convened a DETC Task Force on State Authorization.
The Task Force, composed of representatives from DETC member institutions, will be chaired by Mr. Gary M. Keisling, the Chairman and CEO of Ashworth College in Norcross, GA. Gary is the former President of DETC, and has served as Vice-Chair of the DETC Accrediting Commission. He has decades of experience in working with state agencies.
The overall goals of this Task Force will be:
- To get definitive and clear guidance from the Department on what the regulation means and what institutions must do to comply;
- To formulate a DETC-wide strategy on how best our members can approach the task of “getting documentation;”
- To develop a clear plan on how DETC might get various state regulators to extend approvals—or better, exemptions—to all DETC accredited schools;
- To share information with each other on what different states have been doing and what their policies are on this federal directive; and
- To develop guidance for all DETC members so that we take a consistent, effective and unified approach to the task of working with the various states in an era when the “Commerce Clause” of the Constitution may be wistful memory.
The first Task Force teleconference will be taking place this month, and their efforts will continue until it finalizes a clear set of plans and firm understanding of what DETC institutions must do to ensure compliance with this Federal mandate.
Interested in participating on the Task Force? Send an e-mail to Rob Chalifoux and let him know!
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