West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 133 - Higher Education Policy Commission › Title 133 - LEGISLATIVE RULE WEST VIRGINIA HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY COMMISSION › Series 133-52 - Annual Reauthorization of Degree-Granting Institutions › Section 133-52-2 - Purpose

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
2.1. The West
				Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission), through a process of
				granting authorization and annual reauthorization of baccalaureate and graduate
				level higher education institutions operating in West Virginia, has the
				responsibility of protecting consumers and ensuring students are offered
				quality education by postsecondary providers within West Virginia. An
				institution authorized by the Commission is required to operate in accordance
				with fair consumer practices to ensure that students can make appropriate
				decisions concerning their investment of time and money.
2.2. Fair consumer practices means honesty,
				fairness, and disclosure to students in the areas of recruitment, admission,
				contractual agreements, student financial assistance, obligations to repay
				student loans, placement assistance and job placement rates, advertising,
				refund policies, the meaning and recognition of different types of
				accreditation, the transferability of the institution's credits to other
				postsecondary institutions, the offering of quality instructional programs, and
				other appropriate performance measures.
2.3. The Commission is responsible for the
				authorization of any institution, association, or organization external to or
				within the State which desires to offer postsecondary programs or
				credit-bearing courses in West Virginia. Authorization is required for all
				postsecondary providers including: non-profit private institutions, proprietary
				institutions, out-of-state public institutions, degree-granting entities that
				offer degrees at the baccalaureate level or above, and entities that use the
				term "academy," "college," "institution," "university" or similar title,
				hereafter referred to as "institution."
2.4. The Commission is responsible for the
				annual reauthorization of any private, proprietary, or out-of-state
				postsecondary institution that has physical presence in West Virginia and
				offers degree programs above the associate level except for those institutions
				exempted by the Commission under Section 4 of this rule. The process of
				conferring reauthorization by the Commission includes the monitoring of
				standards for degrees awarded, the collection and dissemination of pertinent
				institutional data, the conduct of certain reviews and audits, and the
				imposition of certain sanctions including revocation of degree-granting
				authority.
2.5. Existing
				institutions of higher education authorized to operate in West Virginia prior
				to the effective date of this rule are subject to the reauthorization
				provisions of this rule and shall report annually to the Commission on all
				items related to reauthorization prescribed in this rule.
2.6. The provisions of this rule apply to the
				annual reauthorization of any private institution in West Virginia which offers
				degrees above the associate level.
2.7. West Virginia's public universities
				shall remain continuously authorized to operate unless the Legislature takes
				affirmative action to suspend or discontinue its operations;
Provided
, That such public universities shall provide
				information delineated in Section 5.4 to the Commission upon request or as
				needed for reporting purposes.
2.8.
				The Commission shall make available information on institutional performance of
				all public institutions located in West Virginia, including Marshall University
				and West Virginia University, on the Commission's website and through other
				appropriate venues.