With the recent U.S. House of Representatives vote in favor of repealing the state authorization regulation, many institutional personnel are under the misconception that they don’t need to worry about this issue any longer. However, even if the bill were signed into law (which is doubtful), the action would not change state regulations: states will still expect institutions to comply with their laws. As has been the case previously, any postsecondary education institution offering distance education to students in a state in which it is not physically located must meet that state’s requirements for offering postsecondary education.

WCET has served as a national leader in helping system and institutional personnel comprehend the regulations and devise strategies for addressing them. And for institutions compliance with the laws of every state in which they operate presents a huge challenge. Last year the WICHE Commission was approached by members of the Western Academic Leadership Forum, which WICHE manages, and WICHE’s Legislative Advisory Committee for help with this situation. WICHE, at the encouragement of its commissioners, assembled a task force to forge a reciprocal agreement among WICHE states. The agreement will be based on the concept that once an institution is approved by its home state, it would be allowed to teach students at a distance in other states participating in the agreement. Because the agreement has to be finalized, passed into law in many states, and marketed, it will be the spring or summer of 2013 before the first institutions can benefit from reciprocity.

WICHE is also working with the other regional compacts and an effort headed by the Presidents’ Forum of Excelsior College and the Council of State Governments. If successful, any state or territory could join the agreement, and institutions in that state would be eligible for reciprocity in partnering states. 

March 2012  | Share this on Twitter | Post this on Facebook