Meeting State Compliance Goals
What is your best advice to career schools and colleges in order to meet their state’s compliance goals?
In order to meet a state’s compliance goals it is important that employees of all institutions understand that that their individual functions, whatever they may be, and must operate within the rules and regulations of their particular state, accrediting agency and USDE. Equally important, the employees need to understand the rules and regulations are not intended to be punitive or onerous, but to ensure quality education and provide valuable services to their students.
Each institution should have an established, effective “Compliance Team or Person” that develops and implements a Compliance Plan. As a part of the Compliance Plan, it is critical that the Compliance Team communicates and explains the Compliance Plan and the rules and regulations that all employees are expected to adhere to.
Of course, the Compliance Team is charged with ensuring the institution maintains compliance with current rules and regulations, which are constantly changing. A Compliance Plan could prove to be an effective tool and I hope the following recommendations will help in developing an effective Compliance Plan. I am mainly focusing on the state agency, but these same recommendations could also apply to the Accrediting Agency and USDE:
- Develop and maintain a positive repoire with the State regulatory board.
- Know the staff and their particular functions.
- Ensure contact information is kept current with the Board.
- Read, know and understand the regulations and other publications (i.e. Important Notices, posted instructions for any institutional changes, applications, etc).
- Become familiar with the Board’s structure and general operations (meetings, notices, etc) ~~ periodically reviewing the website and reading the information that is sent by the Board.
- Review your institutional directory information that is maintained by the Board to ensure accuracy.
- Periodically attend Board meetings, just to observe.
- Keep abreast of local and national politics.
- Research questions before contacting the Board. Don’t just call and ask every time a question arises as it may be addressed in the rules/regs or general notices ~~ understanding the Board staff works with a large number of licensees.
- Establish a calendar of reporting dates to ensure required reports and information are submitted on or before the due date.
