Hello, hello! 

It's been a busy month in other regulatory landscapes. (The ED redefined what they mean by “Third Party Servicer,” which threw many of us into a tizzy for a couple of weeks—we can talk about it another time if you’d like, although it’s not really a state authorization issue.) I hope you're all doing well! 

As we head into Spring, it's almost time for our SARA data reporting. There’s a webinar next week to help remind us what we need to do and to introduce any new reporting requirements. As usual with NC-SARA, the webinar is free, and I encourage you to attend, even if you’re not responsible for data reporting on your campus. It’s always helpful to know how the data is used and how our institutions may be affected. You can register here: NC-SARA Annual Data Reporting Webinar 

Speaking of SARA, they have updated their policy process, and you can listen to what is being proposed and why. There’s a long list of proposals, and while Ricky LaFosse at UM assures me he’s not proposing anything too burdensome for folks like us, I suspect that may not be true for some of the proposals from the Century Foundation. The Century Foundation is one of many groups advocating for NC-SARA to have more oversight. Essentially, they want NC-SARA to act more like a regulator than an agreement among states. I can’t say I completely disagree, but ultimately, it’s up to the states to decide if they want to strengthen NC-SARA’s role. 

You can register to listen to tomorrow’s policy sessions (and see the complete list of proposed items and their sponsors) here: SARA Policy Announcements 

One more thing before I go back to discussing TPS reports with my friends in Financial Aid—did you see the story in Inside Higher Ed on Monday about the University of California system banning fully “online” degrees? They seem to be falling back on old stereotypes and outdated information about online education being inferior. I’m not sure what their next steps will be, but hey, their loss could be our gain. If I were in Admissions or State Authorization, I’d keep an eye on this. Make sure your language about CA is clear on how we’re authorized to offer programs even though they don’t participate in SARA. If you offer professional licensure programs online, try your best to determine how they apply to California state licensure exams. We may see students looking to transfer to other institutions, and we should be ready to provide them with the best information possible. 

Short month = short update!

Have a great week!