Happy Friday, everyone! 

If you were able to participate in the RM-SAS sessions at COLTT last month, you know one of the topics we discussed was the need for institutions to develop processes, policies, or guidelines for state authorization on campus. There are several reasons for having a well-documented process, not least of which is that such documentation provides support should something get missed or if you need to demonstrate the importance of the work you're doing. 

A well-documented set of processes should include the following sections or attributes:

• Purpose – Why do you have this process? 
• Application – Who does this apply to? 
• Definitions – What terms will you be using that may be specific to the process or need to be clearly defined (e.g., "location")? 
• Process – Outline the actual process: how it works, which offices are responsible, when it is done, and the timeline involved. 
• Application & Use of Data/Information – What is the result of the process? How is the data used? 
• Monitoring and Review – How and how often is the process monitored and reviewed? 

Remember, when you are providing information on the "how" and "why," be sure to document and cite your sources (e.g., federal regulations, NC-SARA policies, etc.). This will not only help you and your colleagues keep track of changes but also assist leadership in understanding how state authorization connects with other processes and offices on campus (e.g., program approval, accreditation, distance education). It may seem like a lot, but a well-written process document can include all the essential elements listed above and will make your state authorization responsibilities much easier to manage. 

One more thing before the weekend: at the end of last month, I had the opportunity to be a guest host, along with my colleague Emily Woods from the University of Kentucky and Jeannie Yockey-Fine from NC-SARA, on the WCET-SAN podcast General Disclosure. We caught up with Cheryl Dowd (WCET Sr. Director for Policy Innovations) and Shari Miller (Institutional Compliance MATTERS and author of the Professional Licensure Disclosures: Implementation Handbook for Institutional Compliance with the 2019 Federal Regulations). We reflected on the past two years of living with these 2019 regulations and how things in this part of the regulatory landscape have evolved since then. 

Have a great weekend!
Erika 

Erika G. Swain
Interim Assistant Director for State Authorization
Office of Academic Affairs
University of Colorado System
e: swaine@cu.edu
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Assistant Director for Compliance and tiuthorization
Office of Data AnalyEcs | Office of Institutional Research
University of Colorado Boulder
e: Erika.Swain@colorado.edu
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o: (303) 735-8184
c: (518) 637-9785