Return to State Authorization of Postsecondary Education
Final Report of The Commission on the Regulation of Postsecondary Distance Education
On April 11, 2013, in a move that will help transform the delivery of distance learning, a diverse group of higher education and state leaders, accreditors, and regulators led by former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley unveiled plans for a new interstate reciprocity system that will significantly streamline regulations and allow universities and colleges to more easily offer online courses across the country. The Commission on the Regulation of Postsecondary Distance Education’s final report, “Advancing Access through Regulatory Reform: Findings, Principles, and Recommendations for the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA),” seeks to free higher education institutions from the maze of costly, inefficient, and inconsistent regulations and laws in different states (which often make it difficult to offer online courses to students who reside outside an institution’s home state) by proposing a single set of baseline standards and procedures to both regulate distance education programs and ensure consumer protection. The Commission’s interstate reciprocity system will ensure institutions can easily operate distance education programs in multiple states as long as they meet the regulatory requirements of their home state, which will include standards dealing with institutional quality, consumer protection, and institutional financial responsibility. To promptly move forward with implementation of the Commission’s work, the Presidents' Forum and the Council of State Governments hosted 47 state teams at a Reciprocity Symposium in Indianapolis on April 16-17, 2013 to discuss the recommendations and corresponding next steps.
- Commission Final Report
- Press Release on Commission Final Report
- Frequently Asked Questions about the Commission and its Work
- Getting to Know SARA - Comments from Nebraska SHEEO, Marshall A. Hill
Background
Former U. S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and 20 other leaders have been invited to explore the regulation of postsecondary distance education on a new national commission organized by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO). The Commission on Regulation of Postsecondary Distance Education will invite testimony and information, and develop recommendations, to address the regulatory costs and inefficiencies faced by postsecondary institutions that must comply with multiple and often inconsistent state laws and regulations when providing educational opportunities in multiple state jurisdictions.
APLU, SHEEO, Education Counsel and many others collaborated in organizing the Commission in order to provide a setting for all the interested parties to consider the issues and make practical recommendations that might be widely adopted. APLU President Peter McPherson and SHEEO President Paul Lingenfelter will both serve on the Commission and will assist Secretary Riley in leading its work.
Resources
Establishing the Commission
- Press Release Announcing Formation of Commission (May 23, 2012)
- Mission and Scope of Work
- Commission Membership
- Court Decision on Career College v. Duncan (June 5, 2012)
- Chronicle of Higher Education article about court decision
Commission Meetings
- Summary of first Commission meeting (June 30, 2012)
- Summary of second Commission meeting (September 12, 2012)
- Commission members participated in a webinar on technical issues on November 14, 2012; the fourth Commission meeting was held on January 14, 2013. While no formal notes are available from these meetings, the discussions that took place within those meetings led to the creation of the final Commission Report and are briefly summarized in part II of the Report: The Work of the Commission.
Commission Resources