Distance Ed at a Crossroads: The Changing Landscape of New Regulations
Significant changes are being proposed for distance education courses and programs. If implemented, these new regulations will majorly affect your online courses, programs, and services to students. Join the WCET and SAN policy team for an in-person event to help you navigate the changing landscape of new regulations.
Bring your questions; there will be much time to have your questions addressed and for interaction with others on how the proposals will affect them.
Regulatory changes under consideration by the Department and to be discussed:
- Changes to state authorization reciprocity:
- Limit institutions to 500 students enrolled in each state.
- Subject institutions to requirements in each state for records retention, teach-out plans, and paying into tuition recovery funds or surety bonds.
- Allow students to complain directly to the state.
- Allow the student’s state to take responsibility for resolving their complaint.
- Limit reciprocity governance board membership to state personnel.
- For distance education overall:
- Require attendance-taking of all distance education courses.
- Disallow asynchronous education for institutions using the clock hour method of financial aid disbursement.
- Categorize students in online programs in a “virtual location” for consumer protection and data gathering purposes.
- Update distance education “substantive change” requirements for accreditation.
- Change “inclusive” or “equitable” access programs so that students must opt-into them.
- Requirements for contracting with “third-party servicers.”
Additionally, time will be spent discussing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the “Chevron deference,” which could change how much regulatory authority federal Departments will retain.
The meeting will begin at 1:00 on Tuesday, July 30 and adjourn by noon on Wednesday, July 31. Register today to save your seat!
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