Atheneo KEEN State Authorization

Concerned about meeting the federal online state authorization requirement? Problem solved!

February 16, 2012 – 22:45

Concerned about meeting the federal online state authorization requirement? Problem solved! Visit us at the ABHE/ABACC Conference.

We have all been struggling with a strategy to meet the federal regulation requiring state authorization for each online student. Below is a summary of the requirement:

“If an institution is offering postsecondary education through distance or correspondence education to students in a State in which it is not physically located, the institution must meet any State requirements for it to be legally offering postsecondary distance or correspondence education in that State. We are further providing that an institution must be able to document upon request by the Department that it has the applicable State approval.”

–Oct. 29, 2010 Amendments to the Higher Education Act, Program Integrity Issues, State Authorization, Section 600.9. See:http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-26531.pdf

Problem solved! Knowledge Elements will be introducing our new innovation called the Domestic Exchange Consortium Agreement (DECA). Developed in concert with our successful Knowledge Elements Education Network (KEEN) we provide participating institutions a platform for colleges and universities to meet these regulations with minimum cost and no administrative burden.

We have handled all the administrative details, so you can focus on your online students, just what you would expect from a trusted partner.

Our product launch will be Wednesday, February 22nd and the ABHE and ABACC Annual Conferences. Please visit Hillsborough room (same level as F2) from 3:00pm to 4:00pm to witness the unveiling of DECA! We will provide a demonstration of DECA and experienced advisors will be available to answer any questions.

DECA Solution Launch Details:

2012 ABHE and ABACC Annual Conference

Pre-Conference Session

Wednesday February 22, 2012

Time: 3:00pm-4:00pm

Room: Hillsborough (same level as F2)

Additional details: The U.S. Department of Education allows colleges and universities to create Domestic Exchange Consortium Agreements with institutions that are authorized in other states. The Knowledge Elements Education Network offers the administrative capabilities to make this happen between two member institutions without an increased financial or administrative burden.

Institutions that are KEEN members can connect with other members who will then serve as hosts for these out-of-state students. KEEN facilitates this connection, ensuring that member institutions have the required authorizations. We continue to assist throughout the entire lifecycle of the relationship.

Using our Atheneo technology, data can be shared between the two institutions without added burden. When a student from out of state registers at one institution, Atheneo flags the student and asks the college or university whether it wants to find an appropriate host institution. When a student completes a course, Atheneo seamlessly delivers information to both institutions.

Those who are currently members of KEEN available to anyone who uses our learning outcome-based online courses, degree completion program, strategic planning services, blended programs, or other services already are eligible to participate in the DECA.

If you would like to serve as a host institution, you will simply need to provide a series of data to us. Host institutions will receive a small stipend for each student they serve, bringing added revenue while helping other institutions to serve their students, too.

We believe this DECA is vital to the survival of Christian colleges and universities. So we have opted to create a new level of KEEN membership for those institutions that merely want us to facilitate the DECA. There is no requirement to participate in our other offerings-though we would certainly like to discuss additional ways that we might help you better serve your students and build financial security into your administration.

If you would like to learn more about participating in the DECA, or joining KEEN, please contact Knowledge Elements.

We have the solution to the complex equation:

Thriving Institutions + KEEN/DECA = Healthy Christian Colleges and a Well-Served Student Population

 

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KEEN State Authorization

‘State Authorization’ Shut Down

July 13, 2011 – 13:38

July 13, 2011 — Inside Higher ED newsletter published the following article.

WASHINGTON — Higher education hates the U.S. Education Department’s recently enacted regulation requiring institutions to seek and gain approval from any state in which they operate, and has fought it on multiple fronts. Late Tuesday colleges and universities got at least a temporary reprieve from the part of the rule to which they most object — its application to online programs in which even one student from a state enrolls.

Read the Article here…

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Credit Hour State Authorization

Bill to Block Credit Hour Rule Advances

June 16, 2011 – 07:47

June 16, 2011 – Inside Higher ED newsletter published the following article.

WASHINGTON — A bill that would repeal two Education Department program integrity rules — the federal definition of a credit hour and the requirement that colleges and universities be authorized in every state in which they operate — is now headed for a vote by the full House of Representatives.

Read the Article here

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State Authorization

‘Breathing Room’ on State Authorization

April 21, 2011 – 12:59

April 21, 2011 — Inside Higher ED newsletter published the following article.

WASHINGTON — The Education Department did not go nearly as far as college leaders would have liked in backing away from a new rule requiring colleges to get approval from every state in which they operate distance education programs. But in announcing Tuesday that, for the next three years, the agency would not meaningfully punish institutions that have shown “good faith” efforts to get such approval, the federal government sought to provide some additional latitude, its officials say.

Read the Article here…

Also, read the April 20, 2011 Dear Colleague letter here…

Here’s the WCET review of the Dear Colleague letter…

 

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State Authorization

State Authorization Update #2

April 15, 2011 – 13:14

Dear Colleague,
Based on the regulations regarding state authorization as stated in the Federal Register and on the opinion of respected financial aid professionals, we are of the opinion that the new regulations apply only to institutions offering online degree programs. Thus, if you do not offer online degree programs you do not need to seek state authorization for online courses that you may offer. However, you may want to use the sample letter in the resource links below (see details later in this message) to show a good-faith effort to be in complete compliance with the regulations.

For those of you who do offer online degree programs, we have posted a sample letter in the resource links below. You can use this letter to show a good-faith effort regarding authorization by those states in which your online degree students reside. You can modify this letter as needed to fit your particular situation. In another resource link below you will also find a state higher education office list with contact information which you can mail-merge with the letter. Be sure to send the letter by registered mail/return receipt so you have concrete evidence of making a good-faith effort to be in compliance.

As you will see, the approach of this letter is to first request an exemption on several grounds including several of the items know to be triggers for a state agency. Then, if an exemption cannot be given, it asks for details related to gaining approval.

Soon we will also be posting information on using KEEN as an Educational Cooperative. This document will describe how you can avoid the state authorization issue by participating as a Member or Host Member. This concept has been reviewed by respected higher education and financial aid professionals and does not violate financial aid or higher education law. We think this will be a great solution to the state authorization issue.

Please contact us with your concerns and questions. We want to be as helpful as we can as we all deal with the new regulations. Weber and Associates is available to answer questions related to the financial aid aspects of your various programs.

Resource Links:
Sample Letter Word doc mail merge ready
State Agencies Spreadsheet

Tip: The spreadsheet contains a column for inputting the number of students (if known) from each of the states. Notice that this is referenced in the letter and will fill in automatically. The mail merge data should auto-link as long as you have saved both documents in the same directory. There are several pieces of text surrounded by [[[]]] and highlighted in yellow for you to change. Be sure to change all other aspects of the letter not applicable to your institution.

Sincerely,
Steve Smith, CAO

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State Authorization

State Authorization Update

April 13, 2011 – 12:56

Dear Colleague,

We realize that you may have some concerns regarding the recent federal regulations regarding state authorization required of higher education institutions that provide online learning opportunities to students. Based on information received at the WCET State Authorization Network meeting last week and from Weber and Associates regarding financial aid, we have developed some options that will be helpful for dealing with this issue. We will be sending you more detailed information later this week, but wanted to provide you with a preliminary summary of available options.

One option will be to participate in the educational cooperative hosting arrangement that will be available through KEEN before July 1, 2011. This will allow your online student who lives in another state to take courses through KEEN, receive credit through a host institution in that state and be awarded your degree. This arrangement will allow the use of federal financial aid by your student as always while avoiding the necessity of obtaining state authorization from the state in which your student lives.

Another option will be to pursue authorization in those states where you have online students but no hosting institution is available. The most important aspect of this process at this point is for institutions to be able to demonstrate a good faith effort toward obtaining such authorization by July 1, 2011. As of that date, institutions must be able to provide evidence of a minimum good faith effort toward obtaining state authorization(s) where required, if requested by the USDE. The best evidence of such a good faith effort is a registered mail/return receipt letter to state authorization agencies requesting guidance on whether you must apply for authorization, and if so, how to apply.

To help with this endeavor, later this week we will be sending you a sample letter, a state list of contact information, and instructions on how to mail merge that information into the letter. We are encouraging institutions to send the letter to all states in which you are not authorized since you can’t?always predict where your online students will be living. We are hopeful that you will find the forthcoming information helpful. Please contact me with questions and information as needed.

Sincerely,
Steve Smith, CAO
steve.smith@emailKE.com

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State Authorization

KEEN at WCET/SAN

April 5, 2011 – 10:53

Steve Smith (Chief Academic Officer for Knowledge Elements) and Dr. Randy Bell (Director, Commission on Accreditation for ABHE) will be attending the State Authorization Network of WCET on April 6-7 in Boulder, Colorado. They will receive training on the state authorization regulations recently handed down by the USDE. This will allow both organizations to become more knowledgeable about the new regulations as well as capable of providing proper guidance regarding the regulations to members of ABHE and of the Knowledge Elements Education Network (KEEN).

 

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Atheneo KEEN

Atheneo 3.0 releases

March 28, 2011 – 11:51

The next generation of Knowledge Elements’ proprietary system platform Atheneo includes significant upgrades in usability and performance across multiple browsers and mobile platforms. Nicknamed “A3,” the platform should enable a series of future multi-media capabilities and is expected to go live during the week of April 11.

These upgrades mark a significant advancement in Atheneo, which was first released in 2003. It allows the students to better focus on their work and provides instructors stronger tools. It will also provide an opportunity for students to literally learn wherever they are, around the world, on whatever device they choose.

In addition to the improved user experience on multiple platforms, A3 includes a feature that allows users to translate all of a page or a portion of a page into the default language of an enrolled student; the translator function is available in multiple languages. One of KEs clients will immediately deploy the feature to provide Spanish language courses to many students.

As one of the leading providers of educational services to colleges and universities, primarily serving the faith-based market, it is crucial that we continue to be at the leading edge of serving learners and learning institutions needs. The improvements to Atheneo will also allow students to collaborate with other students and even add to each others notes seamlessly. This will foster teamwork and enhance the learning experience.

Atheneo is an integral component of Knowledge Elements services, providing a framework for delivering online education. Member colleges and universities also may participate in the Knowledge Elements Education Network (KEEN), which provides a consortium (educational cooperative) through which content and qualified adjunct faculty may be shared.

Knowledge Elements was founded in 1987 and has a long history of progressive, innovative development of programs and technology that enhance adult degree completion, online and blended programs.

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Credit Hour

Credit Hour Definition

February 18, 2011 – 09:00

Dear Colleague:

ABHE and Knowledge Elements are working together to provide you with the most up to date information regarding accreditation issues. Representatives of both organizations attended the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Annual Conference in Washington, D. C. in January of this year. Both organizations are also talking with various accreditation agency and government representatives about these issues.

We are discovering productive ways to deal with the recent federal regulations regarding accreditation that will allow you to continue to successfully fulfill your institution’s mission. You may have received a white paper recently regarding the credit hour issue that is causing a great deal of concern among those who offer adult degree and online programs. If not, you can find it here.

We are also researching the state authorization issue and will be providing you with definitive solutions for alleviating the burden of this regulation.

While there is movement in Washington, D. C. toward legislative solutions to these issues, we are committed to being as proactive as possible in order to discover realistic and effective solutions for ABHE members. Please contact us with your concerns regarding these issues and with your suggestions for solutions.

Best regards,
Steve Smith, CAO

 

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