New on WCET Frontiers
Policy
Buckle Up. ED is Off to the Races with Its NPRM
Published by: WCET | 7/22/2024
We’ve been waiting with bated breath to see if the U.S. Department of Education would surprise us when they released the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and proposed regulations related to the most recent negotiated rulemaking. Spoiler alert, they have now released the NPRM with proposed rules on distance education. We know that there are […]
Policy
Recent Supreme Court Decisions: Chevron, Loper Bright, and Corner Post… What Are These and How Do They Affect Distance Education?
Published by: WCET | 7/18/2024
In the last month, you may have seen a flurry of articles indicating the demise of the Federal regulatory landscape as we know it. This is due to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Loper Bright Enterprises vs. Raimondo and Relentless Inc. v. Department of Commerce. Many articles argue that the sky is falling […]
Policy
Survey of a State Authorization Professional
Published by: WCET | 7/9/2024
Essential Requirements and Critical Roles In today’s ever-evolving landscape of higher education, Distance Education/State Authorization Compliance[1] plays a crucial role in ensuring institutions follow laws, regulations, and guidelines. This process: Distance Education/State Authorization compliance can be a complex and time-consuming process, as each state has its own set of regulations and requirements for out-of-state institutions. […]
Policy
Navigating State Barriers: Challenges for Formerly Incarcerated Students in Licensing Programs
Published by: WCET | 6/27/2024
Higher education has an important role to play when it comes to providing information to students searching for educational programs that leads to a license or certification. In that light, what information should be provided by the institution to formerly incarcerated students who are looking for professional or licensure programs? While some states do have […]
Policy
In Defense of Distance Education – A Joint Letter to the Department of Education & Call to Action
Published by: WCET | 6/4/2024
On June 4, several leading higher education organizations jointly submitted a letter to the Department of Education outlining concerns and support for recent regulatory proposals. The letter focuses on proposals discussed during the Department’s Program Integrity and Institutional Quality negotiated rulemaking sessions. It addresses suggested new compliance requirements for postsecondary distance education courses and programs. […]
Policy
Ready or Not, Here It Comes! New Regulations When Offering Programs Leading to a License Effective July 1!
Published by: WCET | 5/16/2024
There is no more hiding from the eventuality of the effective date for new Federal regulations affecting the institutions serving students in programs leading to a license or certification. Institutions and the U.S. Department of Education (Department) have a common goal to support a student participating in an educational program leading to a state license […]
Policy
In Defense of Reciprocity – A Joint Letter to the Department of Education & Call to Action
Published by: WCET | 5/2/2024
On May 1, leading higher education organizations jointly submitted a letter to the Department of Education (the Department) detailing concerns about recently raised proposals regarding state authorization reciprocity agreements. Earlier this year, the Department’s negotiated rulemaking sessions included several recommendations to alter the operations of such state-to-state agreements. The Department was clear that the proposals […]
Policy
Call for Action: Contact Elected Officials About Proposed Distance Education Regulations
Published by: WCET | 4/5/2024
Important proposed regulations affecting distance education were discussed during the Department of Education’s Program Integrity and Institutional Quality negotiated rulemaking sessions that ended on March 7. In brief, you should take action: The Background On March 20th, we published a blog update on the final week of negotiated rulemaking. Despite tons of suggestions and hours of […]
Policy
Major Changes to Distance Ed: Department of Education Rulemaking Final Session Update
Published by: WCET | 3/20/2024
Major changes loom on the horizon for postsecondary distance education programs in the United States, but we are now in a temporary limbo of uncertainty. The Department of Education’s Program Integrity and Institutional Quality negotiated rulemaking sessions ended on March 7. Despite tons of suggestions and hours of discussion, none of the distance and digital […]
Policy
Unveiling the Highlights: WCET’s 2024 Virtual Summit
Published by: WCET | 3/7/2024
A few short weeks ago, WCET staff, presenters, and members joined together for presentations and discussions about the policy and practice of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education. The event, which was exclusively offered to WCET members, took place on February 22, 2024. I was not involved in the planning and implementation of this Summit, so […]