Continuing Education Accountability & Credibility Policy

Continuing Education Accountability & Credibility Policy

Approved By and Date: Board of Trustees 10-12-2017
  Executive Leadership Team 09-11-2017
  ICORE 09-06-2017

To ensure the accountability and credibility of Continuing Education programs, Stanly Community College will maintain a Continuing Education Accountability & Integrity Plan for the responsible administration of all continuing education courses. The Continuing Education Accountability & Integrity Plan serves as a guide to SCC personnel responsible for governance, academic integrity through various audit checks, and meeting community needs. This plan will be maintained in full compliance with the requirements of the State Board of Community Colleges.  The President, and/or designee will report to the Stanly Community College Board of Trustees as to the progress and status of this plan.

Continuing Education Accountability & Credibility Procedures

Approved By and Date: Executive Leadership Team 11-30-2020
  ICORE 10-21-2020

Stanly Community College will review the Continuing Education Accountability & Integrity Plan as required by State law and the State Board of Community Colleges and/or recommended by the North Carolina Community College System. The Executive Director of College Accountability or the President’s designee will be responsible for ensuring the proper implementation of the Continuing Education Accountability & Integrity Plan and will report to the President annually on the progress and status of the Continuing Education Accountability & Integrity Plan.

The internal audit plan is one aspect of the Continuing Education Accountability & Integrity Plan and includes the following procedures.

ON-SITE VISITATION

  1. A course coordinator or designee will visit 50 percent of off-campus and 25 per-cent of on-campus Occupational Extension and Literacy classes at least once during each semester.  Classes which are offered via distance education technology must be visited in the same proportion that other continuing education classes are required to be visited.  Classes that meet 12 hours or less, Self-Supporting classes, and Community Service classes are excluded from the visitation requirement.
  2. An SCC Associate Vice President or a designated Dean will visit 10 percent of off-campus Occupational Extension and Literacy classes each semester with no pre-notification of these visits.  An off-campus class is defined as “any class not held in institutionally owned or leased property or a center under the supervision of a resident supervisor/director who is on-site during the entire period the instruction is taking place therein”.  It may also refer to classes which are offered via distance education.
  3. A process will be used allowing the instructor’s supervisor, senior continuing education officer/Chief Academic Officer and System Office Program Auditors to check the activity of the class at any time while the class is running.  Visits to classes must be unannounced regardless of whether they are off-campus, on-campus, or offered via distance education technology.  These visits will be documented on  XAIR in Colleague Class Visitation Log or On-Site/Off-Site Visitation Form.  Registration periods will not be considered as one of the unannounced class visits.  Registration periods begin prior to the start date of the class and will continue until the census date or one week, 7 calendar days, after the start date, whichever occurs first.  The Associate Vice President over the respective course section area may approve registration up to the census date of the section when the census date falls after the first week of class or may limit the registration period based on external factors such as accreditation requirements.

STUDENT MEMBERSHIP VERIFICATION

  1. When possible and when the class meets physically, initial registration for Occupational Extension and Literacy courses will be conducted by a full-time staff member of the College.  If the initial course registration must be completed by an instructor, a full-time staff member will verify enrollment of that class.  This staff member will make sure that all enrolled students have signed a registration form and/or a roster when required. In the case of a student being unable to sign (e.g. ABE or Compensatory Education), the instructor/full-time staff member may sign, in the student’s presence, for that student but must also sign his/her own name (e.g. John Smith by Mary Doe).
  2. In situations where the class does not register or meet physically (such as internet or other distance education courses), student membership verification requires evidence of payment of the applicable registration fee or applicable fee waiver.

INSTRUCTOR VERIFICATION

Instructor verification will be accomplished through four methods.  Each new instructor must submit a completed and signed I-9 form which requires documentation appropriate for establishing identity and employment eligibility, such as a photocopy of current driver’s license, original social security card, or “green card.”  In addition, for each class taught, the instructor is required to complete, sign, and date a course contract, payroll certification, and final enrollment/attendance roster.

INSTITUTIONAL APPROVAL PROCESS

In the Continuing Education area, all courses must receive prior approval through the workflow process resulting in an electronic signature from the Senior Administrator.  A Colleague report will be used to provide course schedules as requested.  Directions to all off-campus classes will be maintained in Colleague.

INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACCURACY

  1. The President of Stanly Community College will assign to the Chief Financial Officer the responsibility of ensuring the proper implementation and maintenance of this plan for accountability and credibility.  The Chief Financial Officer will report to the President on the progress and status of this plan each semester.
  2. The President and/or designee will report annually to the College’s Board of Trustees as to the progress and status of this plan, which will be documented in Board minutes.

 

 

References:

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115D-5(m) Administration of Institutions by State Board of Community Colleges

1D SBCCC 300.4 Program Management

1G SBCCC 400.3 Compliance Reviews

 

Revised: 9/11/2017 (procedures)