Public Policy Week

Presenter: Rob Robinson, Senior Strategist and COO, The Hardy Group

Bio: A  highly-skilled technologist, strategist and trainer, with focused research and writing from earning a doctoral degree, Rob is a leader in the industry. Rob loves to quickly learn from and interpret data, gleaning business insights from artificial intelligence and machine learning-driven analytics to implement effective change management initiatives at scale. His proven expertise at building consensus for strategic plans and new initiatives has helped to develop training and learning development opportunities designed to bring everyone from faculty and staff to executive level administrators and stakeholders into alignment.

Abstract: In listening to, and talking with, the many true experts on these issues, The Hardy Group has been putting together “Ten Things” lists of ideas that you – as a distance learning professional – should be keeping up with. Join this session for a countdown of their 10 Federal Regulations Impacting Online Education in the U.S. Topics include Attendance Taking for Online Courses, Return to Title IV, Distance Ed Data Reporting Requirements, Accreditation Changes, Distance Education Definition, and more. Join the discussion and share what you think is missing from the list? What’s keeping you up at night these days?

Presenters: Jared Abdirkin, Cheryl Dowd and Sarah Levy

Bios:

Jared Abdirkin earned his BS degree in Human Development and MS degree in College Student Personnel from the University of Rhode Island. In his professional career to date, he has worked at multiple institutions of higher education focused on academic affairs, program and college leadership, and admission and retention efforts. Highlights of his work include: maintaining and expanding programs to ensure student readiness and seamless transfer; organizing the movement of undergraduate classes from fully in person to combinations of in-person; hybrid and remote in 2020 and 2021; and the stabilization, re-organization, and growth of an Office of Student Life and an Academic and Student Affairs division. Prior to joining NC-SARA, Jared was at the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), primarily focused on SARA as well as serving with a team of Senior Directors to help manage and guide NEBHE internal processes and policies.

Cheryl Dowd directs the activities of the State Authorization Network (SAN), including coordination of staff addressing interstate policy and compliance as well as other ancillary compliance issues. Additionally, she serves the overall WCET membership in addressing emerging and special regulatory issues related to digital learning in postsecondary education. Dowd is a contributing author for a guidebook for understanding the legal basis for State and Federal compliance for activities of post-secondary institutions, State Authorization of Colleges and Universities. Dowd earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Richmond, master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Bowling Green State University, and bachelor’s degree in Political Science from James Madison University.

Sarah Levy joined NC-SARA in February 2024 as Senior Director, Policy & Regulatory Affairs. Sarah was the Executive Director of Postsecondary Licensing with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education prior to joining NC-SARA. In this licensing role since 2008, she oversaw the state authorization of private institutions operating and soliciting in Kentucky. In addition, upon Kentucky joining SARA in 2016, Sarah was a State Portal Entity contact and a member of the S-SARA Regional Steering Committee. She served as a member of the S-SARA Policy and Administration Working Group. Sarah holds a B.A. in English and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Kentucky.

Abstract: This session will first review institutional awareness in serving students by interstate distance education that state statutes and regulations must be followed where the student is located. State institutional approval may be obtained by the state where the student is located or by the institution’s participation in reciprocity through the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA). In this presentation, we will discuss the SARA Policy Modification Process as well as recent and potentially future U.S. Department of Education actions that may fundamentally alter SARA. The process is guided by principles of transparency, collaboration, and consistency, among regional compacts, states, institutions, and other stakeholders. The process reflects a desire to improve student consumer protections for interstate distance education. As SARA celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2024, with a robust network of 52 states and territories and over 2,400 institutions, allowing student access to distance education that would not be possible otherwise, we want to ensure a continued focus on improvement and enhancement. At the same time, we want to maintain awareness of the potential for federal developments that could fundamentally alter the agreement. We will share information about the timeline and the steps we have been taking to strengthen SARA, preserve educational opportunities across the U.S., and enhance protections for students participating in distance education. Federal regulations tie state compliance, including through SARA, to institutions offering Title IV Aid. The intersection of state compliance and federal compliance is intended to provide student consumer protection. We will additionally discuss the recent U.S. Department of Education’s actions to develop regulations intended to strengthen protections for students when the institution participates in reciprocity and what we see may be the future of those regulations.  

Presenter: Sandy Wagner, M.A.ED, Academic Specialist, LREC Professionalization Programs, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.

Bio: Sandy Wagner brings a multitude of perspectives and expertise to the language learning process, incorporating primarily linguistic competence, teaching experience, and technology applications into the development of language proficiency. She earned a Master’s in instructional design and online learning from the University of Phoenix and a BA in French Education from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Topic: How DoD current policies on responsible and ethical use of AI have been integrated into learning and development for both instructors and students at the Defense Language Institute to ensure compliance and safe, responsible use.