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NC-SARA Board Approves Ten SARA Policy Modification Proposals

Updated by on Wed, 10/30/2024 - 19:46

In January 2024, NC-SARA opened the second annual cycle of the SARA Policy Modification Process, inviting proposals to modify SARA policy, as represented in the most current version of the SARA Policy Manual. 

Ten SARA policy modification proposals were approved by all four regional compacts through their regional steering committees (RSCs) to move forward for a vote by the NC-SARA Board. All ten proposals were considered and approved by the board. They are listed below, along with their implementation date:
 

  1. PMP24-0619: Responsibilities for Resolving Complaints (1/1/26)
  2. PMP24-0621: Definition - SARA Policy (1/1/25)
  3. PMP24-0622: Removal of Definition "Rule" (1/1/25)
  4. PMP24-0627: Change to Loss of Institutional Eligibility (7/1/25)
  5. PMP24-0628: Changes to Provisional Status (7/1/25)
  6. PMP24-0630: Aligning Professional Licensure Disclosure Requirements (7/1/25)
  7. PMP24-0632: Off-Ramp from Provisional Status (7/1/25)
  8. PMP24-0636: 8.2(f)(2) & (f)(4) - Revise the Amend. Periods (1/1/25)
  9. PMP24-0641: Changes to Complaints Data Collection (1/1/26)
  10. PMP24-0669: SARA Policy Manual (1/1/25)

Key highlights of the approved proposals related to student consumer protections:

  • Clarify that institutions that lose SARA participation must meet state-specific authorization requirements 
  • Align SARA policy with federal requirements regarding professional licensure
  • Increase options for a state to place a SARA-participating institution on provisional status
  • Require public sharing of the reason a SARA-participating institution is placed on provisional status 
  • Require SARA-participating institutions to provide SARA student complaint resolution policies on their website and in their catalog
  • Improve SARA student complaint data collection and reporting to include complaint type and student location

Dr. Rob Anderson, chair of the NC-SARA Board, shared, “The results of this year’s SARA Policy Modification Process really underscore the commitment of our SARA stakeholders. I am grateful to everyone who engaged in this year’s process and look forward to another round of important conversations and considerations in the coming year.”

The revised SARA Policy Manual, reflecting the ten proposals approved this month, will be published on the NC-SARA website by December 31, 2024. In January, the SARA Policy Modification Process cycle for 2025 will begin. Information about next year’s process and timeline will be forthcoming.

Upcoming Webinar
To learn more about the October 2024 NC-SARA Board actions, including the implications of approved SARA policy modification proposals for State Portal Entities and SARA-participating institutions, please join us for a webinar on November 19, 2024, 11:00 A.M. – 12:15 P.M. Mountain Time.

2024 SARA Policy Modification Process Wrap-Up: Results of NC-SARA Board Voting and Implications for SARA-Participating Institutions and State Portal Entities

Presenters in this webinar will provide updates about actions taken at the Fall 2024 NC-SARA Board Meeting, focusing on the outcomes of voting on SARA policy modification proposals that were approved by the regional compacts through their Regional Steering Committees (RSCs). Presenters will provide an overview of each of the proposals approved by the Board and discuss the implementation timeline and other considerations that may impact SARA-participating institutions and State Portal Entities (SPEs). Information will also be provided about the 2025 PMP cycle. 

This webinar is open to all, but registration is required.

The webinar will be recorded.

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