Regulations For Specific Institutions And Programs

(1) Degree Granting Institutions: (a) Authorization to offer any degree in the state will require either institutional accreditation by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accreditor or authority to grant degrees by affirmative vote of the Commission. (b) Unaccredited institutions seeking authority to grant degrees must meet, in addition to the requirements in the Act and these rules for initial authorization, at a minimum: 1. The institution shall incorporate instructional procedures, texts, and materials appropriate to the purpose, curriculum and standards of other degree granting postsecondary educational institutions offering similar programs in the state; 2. For undergraduate and degree granting programs and except as noted further in subparagraph (c) of this rule, twenty-five percent (25%) of the total program must be in general education courses and should be indicated separately in the curriculum presented; 3. Library resources and holdings shall contain up-to-date titles, be available and accessible to all enrolled students and commensurate with the proposed degree level; 4. Demonstration that the degree and the program have merit and value academically, professionally, or vocationally in Tennessee; and 5. Master’s and doctorate level degrees must demonstrate in the curriculum and outcomes increasing levels of critical, analytical, and interpretive thinking, use of primary documents or resources, and independent research skills. (c) Undergraduate degree programs must include at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the program in general education courses unless the institution can demonstrate program AUTHORIZATION AND REGULATION OF REGULARLY AUTHORIZED CHAPTER 1540-01-02 POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS accreditation requirements which are lesser or for a unaccredited institution offering or proposing an associate degree level, demonstrate to the Commission that because of the occupational/technical nature of the program that a student would not benefit in the job from general education courses and demonstrate the need to use that twenty-five percent (25%) of the program for job skills courses. (d) Graduate degree programs, in addition to staffing and study time requirements in these rules, must provide experienced research staff to direct graduate research papers, provide a program of sufficient length and arrangement to facilitate student-to-student and student-to-staff exchange of ideas, provide appropriately credentialed staff in collateral areas, and provide access to a wide range of current reference materials in the subject field. (2) Unaccredited institutions shall not accept funds for tuition prior to ten (10) business days of the scheduled start date of the course or program. (3) Bartending institutions: (a) Pursuant to T.C.A. § 49-7-115, all schools involved in training in the areas of management, operation, procedures, or practice of dispensing alcoholic beverages or bartending shall include instruction in the problems of alcohol abuse and the effect of alcohol consumption on highway safety. (4) Programs leading to licensure, certification, registration or similar recognition: (a) Students shall not be required to take an examination given by a private or public third- party as part of an institution’s program. For example, a truck driving program cannot include successful completion of the Commercial Driver’s License examination. (b) Institutions offering programs in fields that require a student to take an examination in order to be licensed or similarly recognized before the student can be employed in the field shall provide as part of the Reauthorization Application student-level data as to: 1. Whether the student sat for the examination; and 2. Whether the student passed the examination. (c) Institutions may request a waiver from Commission staff of subparagraph (4)(b) of this rule. Commission staff shall grant the waiver upon receipt of documentation from the institution demonstrating that the examination provider or related state agency will not provide testing data to the institution. (5) For programs of interest to other state agencies, such as dental programs, Commission staff will endeavor to streamline processes when a subject matter expert state agency has a law that is contrary or duplicitous of the Act or these rules. (6) Computer Training: (a) Businesses offering specialized certifications clearly used to denote technical, professional or vocational proficiency toward an additional vocational goal or new job title must be authorized for operation of that training in the state. (7) Institutions that require students to complete cleaning or similar tasks as part of any course or program shall limit such tasks to those that are reasonably related to the field for which the student is being prepared and that are consistent with the types of tasks that the student AUTHORIZATION AND REGULATION OF REGULARLY AUTHORIZED CHAPTER 1540-01-02 POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS would be expected to complete as part of the student’s primary duties or functions when working in the field that the education is preparing the student to enter.