Student Location and Disclosure Policy   

 

 

Abstract: 
This policy establishes UAB's commitment to and process for establishing and responding to student locations as related to Professional Licensure and Certification in states and territories outside of Alabama.

Effective Date: 07/01/2020

 

Review/Revised Date: 07/01/2020

 

Category: Academic Affairs

 

Policy Owner: Provost

Policy Contact: Vice Provost, Enrollment Management

 
   
 
 

INTRODUCTION

In accordance with federal, state, and National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements ("NC-SARA") reporting requirements, UAB must have a university-wide process for collecting and reporting student location data for purposes of providing disclosures to students in educational programs leading to professional licensure regarding whether UAB's program meets licensure requirements in the state of the student's location.
 

SCOPE

This policy applies to department chairs, faculty/staff approving off-campus learning placements, Admissions (Undergraduate and Graduate), Office of the Registrar, faculty with oversight in academic departments that offer educational programs leading to professional licensure or faculty or staff who advertise programs as meeting specific professional licensure or certification requirements and all students.
 

DEFINITIONS

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) provides a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education. When states join SARA, they agree to follow uniform processes for approving their eligible institutions' participation. They also agree to deal with other states' SARA institutions in a common way when those institutions carry out activities in SARA states other than their own.
Student location is the state where the student is physically located.
 

POLICY STATEMENT

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is committed to fully complying with all requirements issued by federal regulations and states and U.S. territories and by NC-SARA regarding the offering of educational programs and activities to students located outside the State of Alabama. UAB complies with:
  • Federal state authorization regulations that require UAB to develop a process for determining the location of its students' educational activities, including determining the student's state location upon inquiries into programs, upon being in the process of applying to a program and upon initial enrollment in an educational program, and, if applicable, determining when UAB formally receives information from the student that their state location has changed;

  • NC-SARA requirements to report the number and location of UAB students engaged in distance education (including location of military students) and all UAB students in out- of-state learning placements (clinical rotations, student teaching, internships, etc.);

  • NC-SARA and federal regulations that require:
    1. UAB to make public disclosures for students enrolled in any educational program, no matter the method of delivery, designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification that is required for employment in an occupation, or is advertised as meeting such requirements advising whether their successful completion in that program will enable or qualify the student to take the exam and/or to practice in their chosen profession in the state where the student is located, does not meet educational requirements in states where students are located or that no determination has been made.

    2. UAB is required to make individual disclosures to current and prospective students that a program leading to professional licensure does not meet educational requirements in states where students are located or that no determination has been made; and

  • Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) requirements to identify educational programs designed to lead to licensure or certification required for employment in an occupation, to report educational programs offered through distance delivery, and to collect related enrollment data.
 

NONCOMPLIANCE

Failure to comply with this policy to disclose online licensure program information could jeopardize disbursement of Title IV financial aid funds. Confirmed violations of this policy by employees will result in consequences commensurate with the offense, up to and including termination.