Submitted by nortiz on Fri, 06/14/2019 – 08:27

NC-SARA Board Adopts New Mission Statement

At its meeting on May 8-9, 2019 the NC-SARA Board adopted a new mission statement, acknowledging the many changes that have occurred in the SARA landscape since the initial statement was adopted in May, 2014. The new mission statement, which was adopted along with other modifications to the NC-SARA Bylaws, is as follows:

NC-SARA Bylaws, Article I, Section 3: Mission

The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, in collaboration with the four regional higher education compacts, was established to develop and implement an effective and efficient reciprocal state-level authorization process for postsecondary distance education. Its mission is to provide broad access to postsecondary education opportunities to students across the country, to increase the quality and value of higher learning credentials earned via distance education, and to assure students are well served in a rapidly changing education landscape.

NC-SARA strives to achieve its mission by:

a.  Promoting and advancing efforts to ensure inter-regional alignment on core elements and requirements of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA);

b.  Working collaboratively with the full spectrum of stakeholders in the higher education community, including, but not limited to, large- and small-scale distance education providers, regional and national accreditation agencies, elected state officials, state regulators, and state higher education executive officers;

c.  Building public awareness of and support for SARA through regular communications to students, states, accreditors, institutional leaders and other stakeholders; and

d.  Participating actively in cooperative efforts of states and the larger higher education community to improve service to students and the nation through distance education.

The new version of the Bylaws is available HERE.  In addition to adopting a new mission statement, the Board took numerous other actions, including making modifications to the SARA Manual, approving the FY 2020 budget, and selecting Dr. Lori Williams to be the next President and CEO of NC-SARA. Dr. Williams is currently Vice President of the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), an accrediting body overseeing institutions in California, Hawaii and the Pacific.  A draft copy of the minutes of the meeting is available HERE.  (Note: Minutes are “draft” until formally approved by the Board at its next meeting.)

Marshall A. Hill
President and CEO
NC-SARA
June 14, 2019

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