Hello everyone, and Happy April! 

The NC-SARA data reporting period is almost upon us! The timeframe to report fall 2020 distance education enrollments and calendar year 2020 out-of-state learning placements is from May 15, 2021, to June 15, 2021. 

As a reminder, as part of our participation in SARA, we are required to submit information to NC-SARA (via our SPE) annually. This includes documenting the number of students enrolled in 100% distance education and any Out-of-State Learning Placements (e.g., internships, student teaching, practica, clinical placements, etc.). You can read about how NC-SARA uses this data, aside from complying with state higher education agencies, in the Revised (2021) Data Sharing Agreement.

NC-SARA has updated their Data Reporting Handbook for this reporting cycle. While some issues remain somewhat unclear, there aren't too many changes overall. However, there are some new additions, including:

• Addressing COVID-19-related issues 
• Noting the requirement to report distance education or OOSLPs from branch campuses (which everyone should already have been doing, so I’m a bit surprised to see this called out as something new). 

Reporting window: 5/15-6/15, 2021

• Distance education enrollment - Fall 2020 snapshot from IPEDS 
• OOSLP - Calendar year 1/1/20 - 12/31/20 

Data To Be Reported
1. Distance Education Enrollment:  Institutions must report the number of students engaged exclusively in distance education (i.e., enrolled only in distance education courses and no in-person courses) who are enrolled at the institution. This data must be disaggregated by state, territory, or district where the activity takes place. The reported data must include both degree and non-degree for-credit courses.

• For distance education enrollment reporting, institutions should report the same data they submitted for IPEDS’ EF reporting but disaggregated by state/territory. IPEDS provided guidance on how to report courses that changed modality or used mixed modalities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. IPEDS uses the term “remote learning” to describe courses that would otherwise have been delivered in person. NC-SARA requests that we report remote learning as it was reported to IPEDS EF. Please work with your IR office. 
• Remember, we're reporting the number of distance education enrollments for all states and territories, including CO and non-SARA members. 

2. Out-of-State Learning Placements (OOSLP): Institutions participating in SARA should also annually report to NC-SARA the number of their students engaged in certain OOSLP activities, such as clinical rotations, internships, student teaching, etc., disaggregated by state and two-digit Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes as assigned by the U.S. Department of Education.

• Report all OOSLP activities. NC-SARA recognizes that many OOSLP activities scheduled for 2020 may have been disrupted. If learning placements were started but not completed, please report them. 
• OOSLP includes on-the-ground, out-of-state learning placements (clinical rotations, student teaching, internships, etc.) that occurred between 1/1/20-12/31/20. If, due to COVID-19, your students participated in their internships or other OOSLPs online (i.e., remotely or via distance delivery), remember you're only reporting the number of students who were located outside of Colorado. Students who remained in Colorado while participating in these placements will not be counted in this report. 
• Put another way: Do not report learning placements that were intended to be in-person but occurred entirely remotely due to COVID-19 as OOSLPs. 

Q: Which placements need to be counted in this report?
A: Did the student pay the university and/or receive credit? If yes to either or both, then you need to report it. 

Q: What about field trips, service learning, or short courses (e.g., a course that took place part of the semester online or on campus and the rest at an off-site location)? Should we report those?
A: No. 

Q: What about a virtual internship (100% online)?
A: Not as an OOSLP. But if the student was located outside of Colorado while participating in the virtual internship, they would be counted in Distance Education Enrollment. 

Q: What if we report these placements to another third party or through a different placement data set?
A: Yes, you still have to report it. Third-party reporting has no effect on your NC-SARA reporting. 

Q: What if we don’t track these?
A: Well, you're required to as part of the institution's participation in SARA, and you're required to know where your students are located when accessing education per federal regulations, so... 

Pro Tip 
If your OOSLPs are part of a degree program intended to prepare students for professional licensure in another state (e.g., a program advertised to students in California to prepare them for licensure there), regardless of modality, prior approval by that state's professional licensure board may be required to offer learning placements in that state. SARA participation does not include such professional licensure approval. In some states, an even broader range of activities fall under the jurisdiction of licensing boards.  

Have a wonderful weekend!
Erika

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