State Authorization Leaders: 

As we wrap up the last weeks of 2017 and look ahead to the new year, we wanted to provide some important state authorization updates:

 

NC-SARA Data Collection

Many thanks to all faculty and staff who compiled and submitted out-of-state student placement data for annual NC-SARA reporting. Submission of this data ensures that The Ohio State University can continue participation in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA).

SARA participation enables Ohio State to enroll online students and place students in field experiences in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  We greatly appreciate your efforts to maintain SARA compliance, and value your feedback on the data collection process. 

If your college or department has not yet submitted NC-SARA data, please do so as soon as possible. Contact us if you have questions, or if you would like to discuss the data in detail.

 

EU General Data Protection Regulation

Have you heard of the EU GDPR? This sweeping regulation, enacted by the EU Parliament in 2016, aims to protect personal data of EU citizens, anyone traveling to the EU, or anyone residing in the EU. Any organization offering goods or services that processes personal data is required to comply - including U.S. higher education institutions.

Fines for non-compliance are tiered, with a maximum fine of more than 20 million euro, or 4% of annual revenue, whichever is greater. 

Ohio State's Enterprise Security team and the Office of University Compliance and Integrity are developing a strategy to comply with this regulation. Look for more details about how your department may be involved in this compliance effort in future communications. 

 

HEA Reauthorization - PROSPER Act

The U.S. House of Representatives recently introduced a Higher Education Act reauthorization bill - the PROSPER (Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform) Act. The bill would repeal the federal state authorization regulation, which ties state authorization compliance to Title IV eligibility.  The bill also supports reciprocity agreements, which would include SARA. 

Introduction of the PROSPER Act is the first step in what will likely be a long reauthorization process, and it's impossible to predict what will be included in a final version. Our team will monitor and provide updates as the legislation progresses. 

Regardless of the status of the federal rule, the State Authorization Team will continue to seek compliance with state laws, SARA requirements, and applicable federal regulations. Most importantly, we'll work to keep students informed of our authorization status with states and professional licensure boards. 

As always, thank you for your support, and feel free to contact us with any state authorization questions.

Lisa Siefker
State Authorization Program Manager
Office of Distance Education and eLearning
ODEE-stateauth@osu.edu | odee.osu.edu | @OhioStateIT