Responses Last Confirmed:

North Dakota University System

Agency Contact

Claire Gunwall
701-328-4140
claire.gunwall@ndus.edu

Additional Contact

Lisa A Johnson
701-328-4143

Secretary of State Contact

Al Jaeger
701-328-2900
sos@nd.gov
Topic

1: Important Agency Information to Note

a.
Provide any important information about your agency.

No response provided

Topic

2: Types of Educational Providers Authorized

a.
Indicate the types of institutions that your agency authorizes. Please provide a short explanation of any ambiguity in the comment section below.

__X__ Public, in-state degree granting institutions 
__X__ Public, out-of-state degree granting institutions   
__X__ Private, in-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions  
__X__ Private, out-of-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions  
__X__ Private, in-state, for-profit degree granting institutions 
__X__ Private, out-of-state, for-profit degree granting institutions 
_____ Public, in-state, non-degree granting institutions 
_____ Public, out-of-state, non-degree granting institutions 
_____ Non-degree, not-for profit institutions 
_____ Non-degree, for-profit institutions 
__X__ Religious institutions 
__X__ Tribally-controlled institutions 
_____ Federal Institutions 
_____ Municipal institutions 

b.
Does your agency authorize specific academic programs offered by institutions, only institutions themselves, or both?

_____Institution  _____Program ___X__ Both

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

3: Accreditation

a.
Is accreditation required for an institution to be authorized in your state?

Yes

b.
If yes, please check all that apply as appropriate.

Accreditation Required for: 
__X__ Public, out-of-state degree granting institutions   
__X__ Private, in-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions  
__X__ Private, out-of-state, not-for-profit degree granting institutions  
__X__ Private, in-state, for-profit degree granting institutions 
__X__ Private, out-of-state, for-profit degree granting institutions 
_____ Public, in-state, non-degree granting institutions 
_____ Public, out-of-state, non-degree granting institutions 
_____ Non-degree, not-for profit institutions 
_____ Non-degree, for-profit institutions 
__X__ Religious institutions 
__X__ Tribally-controlled institutions 
_____ Federal Institutions 
_____ Municipal institutions 

c.
Clarifying comments:

All institutions must be accredited by national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Topic

4: Exemptions

a.
Are certain institutions or programs exempt by law or policy from your state authorization requirements?

No response provided

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions? Which types of programs?

No response provided

c.
Web link for exemptions.

No response provided

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

5: Authorization of Distance Education

a.
Does your agency require purely online programs offered by out-of-state institutions to be authorized without regard to physical presence?

Yes

b.
If not, does your agency determine whether an institution must be authorized based on a physical presence (“operating”) standard?

No response provided

c.
Does your agency require correspondence study programs to be authorized without regard to physical presence?

Yes

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

6: Physical Presence Policy

a.
If your agency uses a physical presence standard, how does your agency define physical presence?

Physical presence includes a building, classroom or an office used to distribute education or marketing online classes.

b.
Web link for physical presence definition.

No response provided

c.
Clarifying comments:

If an institution has a physical presence in North Dakota – such as a classroom, building, or even an office, they need to get approval from the State Board of Higher Education, and information gathered is in more detail.

Topic

7: Student Complaints - SARA Participating Institutions

a.
Please describe the process for handling complaints about SARA participating Institutions.

Students must have exhausted all options at the institution; then this agency handles the complaint.

b.
Is the process handled all within your agency or do you divide consumer protection and student complaint duties dependent on the type of institution (Public, Private, Technical, etc.)?

Students must have exhausted all options at the institution; then this agency handles the complaint.

Each North Dakota institution has their own complaint process.

c.
Web link for student complaints – SARA participating institutions.
d.
Who is the contact person at your agency for receiving complaints?

Complaints can be sent to NDUS State Authorization

Contact Name: Claire Gunwall
Title: Director of Academic Affairs & Workforce Innovation
Agency: North Dakota University System
Address: 600 East Boulevard Ave, Dept 215, Bismarck, ND 58505-0230
Email: stateauth@ndus.edu
Phone: 701-328-4140
URL: https://ndus.edu/

e.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

8: Student Complaints - Non-SARA Participating Institutions

a.
Please describe the process for handling complaints about out-of-state postsecondary institutions or programs?

Students must have exhausted all options at the institution; then this agency handles the complaint.

b.
Is the process handled all within your agency or do you divide consumer protection and student complaint duties dependent on the type of institution (Public, Private, Technical, etc.)?

Students must have exhausted all options at the institution; then this agency handles the complaint.

Each institution has their own complaint process.

c.
Does this complaint process extend to institutions not authorized by the agency that may enroll residents of the state (such as explicitly distance education programs with no physical presence or exempt institutions)?

No response provided

d.
Who is the contact person at your agency for receiving complaints?

Contact Name: Claire Gunwall
Title: Director of Academic Affairs & Workforce Innovation
Agency: North Dakota University System
Address: 600 East Boulevard Ave, Dept 215, Bismarck, ND 58505-0230
Email: stateauth@ndus.edu
Phone: 701-328-4140
URL: https://ndus.edu/

e.
Web link for the complaint form.

No specific link. Information can be found under the Complaint Process heading under the web page https://ndus.edu/state-authorization-sara

f.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

9: Surety Bonds

a.
Does your state require a Surety Bond for authorized out-of-state institutions?

Yes

b.
Web link for surety bonds.

No response provided

c.
Clarifying comments:

If an institution has a physical presence in our state surety bonds is required.

Topic

10: Tuition Refund Policy

a.
Does your state have a Tuition Refund Policy Requirement?

Yes

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions?

North Dakota University System institutions.

c.
Web link for tuition refund policy.

SBHE Policy 830.2 Refunds

NDUS Procedure 830.2 Refunds

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

11: Student Tuition Recovery Fund

a.
Does your state have a Student Tuition Recovery Fund (or similar fund for school closure)?

No

b.
If yes, for what types of institutions?

No response provided

c.
Web link for student tuition recovery fund.

No response provided

d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

12: Reporting

a.
What kinds of information or data must an institution report to your agency as a condition for continued out-of-state authorization?

Institutions must complete an application which includes institution name, web address, location, type, contact information, accrediting agency information, sanctions/warnings, type of presence in ND, program licensure information, and application fee.

b.
How frequently do institutions report data?

Annually

c.
Is this information published or shared publicly?

No

d.
Web link for reporting.

No response provided

e.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

13: Enforcement

a.
What are possible consequences of institutional non-compliance?

Institutions that are not in compliance will be denied for the initial or renewal application.

b.
Web link for enforcement information.

No response provided

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

14: Application Process

a.
Please provide a short description of the application process to obtain state authorization.

Institution applications includes institution name, web address, location, type, contact information, accrediting agency information, sanctions/warnings, type of presence in ND, program licensure information, and application fee.

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

15: Fees Associated with Authorization

a.
Is there an application fee associated with the authorization process?

Yes

b.
If yes, what is the fee or fee schedule?
  • Institutions without physical presence/online only – new and renewal – $250
  • Institutions with physical presence – new application - $4500
  • Institutions with physical presence – renewal - $2000
d.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

16: Records Retention

a.
When a school closes, what is the process your state uses to ensure that transcripts/records are kept available?

No response provided

b.
From what agency do students request their transcripts/records from a closed school?

No response provided

Agency Name:

Contact Person:

Contact Phone:

Contact Address:

Contact Email:

Contact web site:

c.
Clarifying comments:

No response provided

Topic

17: Additional Information

a.
Is there anything else about the authorization process in your state that we and others ought to know about?

No response provided