Section 92-41-009 - Procedures for AccreditationAny private postsecondary career school offering instruction in the State of Nebraska shall, within five (5) years of its initial authorization to operate, apply to the Department for the accreditation of such school. No authorization issued to any private postsecondary career school shall be renewed unless such school has been accredited by the Department within the 5 year time frame. Only accredited schools shall have authority to grant associate or higher degrees.
009.01 Standards The following minimum requirements must be met:
009.01A The school enrolls students who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in one or more programs, the content of which is of a postsecondary level and leads to postsecondary academic credential (e.g., certificate, diploma, associate or higher degree);009.01B The school is currently authorized to operate as a private postsecondary career school in the state;009.01C The school offers educational programs which help students develop skills and competencies to secure gainful employment in trade, business and industry, government or service industries;009.01D The school has been in continuous operation for at least two (2) years and has graduated students from its programs to enable the assessment of the effectiveness of its educational program(s);009.01E The overall objective of the school shall be clearly stated and each program of study shall have clearly defined objective(s).009.02 Procedures for Application of Accreditation The following procedures must be used to apply for accreditation:
009.02A Submit application for accreditation on forms supplied by the Department, plus the statutory fee, as found in Appendix A, made payable to the Nebraska Department of Education. Application for branch campus(es) must be made on separate form(s).009.02B Submit four (4) copies of a Self-Study Report following the guidelines as to format and contents as specified by the Department. 009.02B1 The Self-Study Report should be typed or printed and strictly adhere to the outline provided.009.02B2 All supporting documentation and exhibits must be submitted with the Report.009.03 A private postsecondary career school that is nationally accredited or regionally accredited may file copies of its Self-Study Report that it files with its accrediting association or agency. This report, if it is more than a year old, shall be updated as to changes which have occurred since the Report was written. The Self-Study Report will be submitted in place of the report outlined in section 009.02B as meeting the accreditation requirements, provided a staff member from the Department participates in the on-site evaluation of the school by the appropriate accrediting association or agency.009.04 Additional information or clarification may be requested before on-site evaluation by a team.009.05 On-Site Evaluation After a school has submitted a satisfactory Self-Study Report and all other required documentation, a visiting team will be appointed. The size, composition and qualification of the team will be determined by the size and number of programs offered at the school. The length of the visit will depend on location, size, and program offerings of the school.
009.05A The expenses of all the members in the team, with the exception of the Department of Education representative, shall be paid by the school. Such expenses shall include mileage, meals, and accommodations, where applicable.009.05B Where branch campuses exist, it may not be possible to visit all branch campus operations during the main campus visit. Efforts will be made to visit the branch campus operations at some point before the evaluation of the school is complete.009.05C The school will be provided in advance of the date of the visit, names of members in the team and a check list of materials and documents that should be current and readily available for review by the team. The school is required to update the Self-Study Report where significant changes have occurred since its initial submission to the Department. 009.05D The on-site evaluation team shall verify information in the school's Self-Study Report and report all facts observed during the visit as to how the school is accomplishing its stated objective(s).009.05E During the visit, the school should make provisions for adequate consultation between team members, and with faculty, administrative staff, and students.009.05F An exit interview will be conducted at the conclusion of the visit with the school administrator and any others designated by him/her. The interview will highlight strengths and weaknesses observed and suggestions for improvement.009.05G The team will prepare a written report covering each area evaluated at the school and include other information pertinent to an accurate evaluation. A compilation of the team's report is sent to the school's administrator for his/her written response. A deadline is assigned for responding in order to prevent stalling the process. 009.05H The school's response, together with the team's evaluation reports and all materials pertinent to the accreditation, are reviewed by the program director and one member from the evaluation team, and a recommendation is made to the Commissioner for action.009.06 When the Commissioner finds that a private postsecondary career school has met the requirements for accreditation, a certificate of accreditation shall be issued to the school. The certificate of accreditation shall be accompanied by a letter which lists the courses taught at the school at the time of the evaluation. 009.06A Accreditation shall be for a period of five (5) years.009.07 Renewal of Accreditation Reaccreditation shall require the same procedure and process as the initial accreditation.
009.08 Applicant Fails to Qualify A school which has received an unfavorable accreditation evaluation will be notified in writing setting forth areas of concern and the period of time in which the concerns shall be corrected.
009.08A If no corrective action is taken within the stipulated time period, accreditation shall be denied and the school shall discontinue operation.009.08B A school whose accreditation is denied can appeal the decision to the Board under the procedures outlined in 92 NAC 43.009.09 Any private postsecondary career school which has been accredited but loses its authorization to operate in the state automatically terminates the accreditation of the school and its programs.92 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 41, § 009
Amended effective 11/8/2016.