West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 135 - Community And Technical College Education › Title 135 - LEGISLATIVE RULE WEST VIRGINIA COUNCIL FOR COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE EDUCATION › Series 135-20 - Initial Authorization of Degree-Granting Institutions › Section 135-20-3 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
3.1. "Academic
				credit" means the certification of a student's successful completion of a unit
				of a course of study leading to a formal award granted by an institution
				approved to offer a postsecondary credential or degree at or below the
				associate degree level.
3.2.
				"Accreditation" means a status attained by the institution through voluntarily
				meeting standards established by a nongovernmental entity recognized by the
				U.S. Department of Education to assess and evaluate the quality of the
				institution and its programs. In this rule, such entity is referred to as
				"accreditor."
3.3. "Authorization"
				means the status granted by the Council that allows the institution to offer
				programs and courses within the State of West Virginia that lead to conferral
				of a degree, earned when the institution demonstrates compliance with the
				requirements of this rule.
3.4.
				"Chancellor" means the Chancellor for Community and Technical College Education
				as that term is defined by W. Va. Code §
									18B-1-2 or his or her
				designee.
3.5. "Contact hours" or
				"clock hours" means the amount of time in actual hours students spend in class
				under the instruction of and in the physical presence of faculty or
				instructional staff or in an interactive distance learning course.
3.6. "Council" means the West Virginia
				Council for Community and Technical College Education as defined by W. Va. Code
				§
									18B-2-1 and as created by W. Va.
				Code §
									18B-2B-1, et seq.
3.7. "Course" means a formally organized,
				structured series of instructional activities open to the general public for
				which a fee is charged, and for which credit toward a degree either is awarded
				or may reasonably be understood to be applicable to a degree with the intent of
				imparting information or understanding at a level appropriate to a
				postsecondary audience. Instruction may be in face-to-face meetings or
				delivered electronically or by other means.
3.8. "Degree" means any designation,
				appellation, series of letters or words, or other symbol that signifies or
				purports to signify that the recipient thereof has satisfactorily completed an
				organized academic program of study beyond the secondary school
				level.
3.9. "Degree program" means
				a defined, integrated curriculum or course of study that leads to a degree in a
				discipline or interdisciplinary specialty.
3.10. "Distance education" means the delivery
				of any course or degree programs by synchronous or asynchronous technology.
				Asynchronous or synchronous technology via distance delivery includes all forms
				of internet, electronic, digital, online, video, and any other technology
				driven delivery system.
3.11.
				"Institution" means an educational facility maintained by any person,
				partnership, firm, public or private corporation, association, agency,
				institute, trust or other entity of any nature whatsoever operating as a
				school, academy, institute, private junior college, college, university, or
				entity of whatever kind that furnishes or offers to furnish instruction leading
				toward or prerequisite to a credential or degree beyond the secondary school
				level, but below the baccalaureate level, and that requires that, in order to
				obtain a degree, the recipient thereof satisfactorily complete a degree
				program. For purposes of this rule, this definition does not apply to any State
				institution of higher education, as that term is defined in W. Va. Code §
									18B-1-2.
3.12. "Physical Presence" means an actual
				presence in this State, online or on-site, for the purpose of conducting
				operations as an institution, including enrollment, solicitation or
				advertising. Physical presence also includes, but is not limited to:
3.12.1. A physical site located within the
				State from which instruction originates or in which instruction is
				delivered;
3.12.2. Dissemination of
				an educational credential from a location within the State;
3.12.3. An agent, whether compensated or not,
				who is utilized for the purpose of administering, coordinating, teaching,
				training, tutoring, counseling, advising, recruiting, or any other activity on
				behalf of the institution;
3.12.4.
				Advertising, promotional material, or public solicitation in any form
				specifically directed to West Virginia residents through distribution or
				advertising in the State;
3.12.5.
				Instructional delivery that receives assistance from any other organization
				within the State to facilitate or provide such delivery.
3.12.6. Clinical experiences, internships, or
				other similar curricular activity. This subsection does not apply to online
				instructors residing in West Virginia but having no direct, in-person contact
				with students, or individuals participating in college fairs coordinated by the
				Council, local school districts, or other providers of primary or secondary
				education.