10 Miss. Code. R. 201-3.12 - Authorization and Conditional Approval
A. Authorized (Approved)
To receive Commission approval, an institution or other entity must be in compliance with Commission standards, rules and regulations, procedures, provisions, and policies including accreditation in good standing by a United States Department of Education (USDE) recognized accrediting body. If approved, the institution or entity must among other requirements:
a. Submit an annual report application, supporting documentation, and fees by the deadline specified in the notification letter from the Commission;
b. Maintain institutional accreditation by a USDE recognized accrediting body and, where available, programmatic accreditation;
c. Submit copies of communication from state, federal, and accrediting agencies concerning official action, sanctions, notices;
d. Commission staff and the Commission and/or a Commission-appointed evaluation team may conduct announced or unannounced visits to the institution or entity if deemed necessary and shall visit the institution or entity along with any USDE recognized accrediting agency during each of its site visits. All reasonable and necessary expenses for official travel incurred by the Commission and evaluation team on announced visits will be paid or reimbursed by the institution or entity according to the laws of the State of Mississippi, including lowest unrestricted public carrier fair or personal vehicle mileage at the State rate, actual meal costs not to exceed maximum daily expenditure limits, and lodging. The size of the team shall be determined in relation to the nature, size, and complexity of the institution or entity being evaluated. Each team will be accompanied by the Commission chair and/or his/her designee who will serve as the team chair unless otherwise designated by the Commission chair. Unannounced visits will not be the expense of the institution or entity.
B. Conditional Approval
a. Accredited Institution or Entity
i. Conditional approval may be granted to an in-state institution/entity or an institution/entity that is located outside the borders of Mississippi which is accredited by a USDE recognized accrediting agency when the institution/entity is substantially in compliance with Commission standards and regulations and is continuously making satisfactory progress to full compliance.
b. Unaccredited Institution or Entity
ii. Conditional approval may be granted to an unaccredited institution or entity physically located in Mississippi that has been in operation less than five (5) years. The Commission will review applications based on statutory and regulatory requirements and the institution's or entity's potential for achieving full compliance including accreditation by a USDE recognized accrediting agency.
c. Conditional approval may be granted for a period of one year, not to exceed three (3) years. If conditional approval is granted, the institution or entity must:
i. Demonstrate and document that it is currently accredited or is continuously seeking and making satisfactory progress to full compliance with Commission standards, rules and regulations, provisions, policies, and procedures including accreditation by a USDE recognized accrediting body;
ii. If accredited, maintain institutional accreditation by a USDE recognized accrediting body and, where available, programmatic accreditation;
iii. If not accredited, submit the progress report application and timeline for achieving accreditation by a USDE recognized accrediting agency upon Commission request;
iv. Submit an annual report application by the deadline specified in the notification letter from the Commission. Additional reports and information may be required upon the request of the Commission.
v. Submit copies of communication from state, federal, and accrediting agencies concerning official action, sanctions, and/or notices;
vi. Commission staff and the Commission and/or a Commission-appointed evaluation team may conduct announced or unannounced visits to the institution or entity if deemed necessary by the Commission and shall visit the institution or entity along with any USDE recognized accrediting agency during each of its site visits to the institution or entity. All reasonable and necessary expenses for official travel incurred by the Commission and evaluation team on announced visits will be paid or reimbursed by the institution or entity according to the laws of the State of Mississippi, including lowest unrestricted public carrier fair or personal vehicle mileage at the State rate, actual meal costs not to exceed maximum daily expenditure limits, and lodging. The size of the team shall be determined in relation to the nature, size, and complexity of the institution or entity being evaluated. Each team will be accompanied by the Commission chair and/or his/her designee who will serve as the team chair unless otherwise designated by the Commission chair. Unannounced visits will not be the expense of the institution or entity.
vii. Failure to satisfy the provisions within the specified timeframe will result in:
i. Revocation of conditional approval, or
ii. Conditional approval may be extended at the Commission's discretion.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
A. The Commission shall take whatever action against colleges and universities or other entities it deems appropriate for violation of standards, regulations, policies, provisions, and procedures. The Commission may deny or revoke approval, place on probation, suspend enrollment, seek an injunction or other action provided by law for any one or combination of the following causes:
a. violation of Commission standards, rules and regulations, policies, provisions, and procedures;
b. the furnishing of false, misleading, or incomplete information requested by the Commission;
c. violation of any commitment made in an application for approval;
d. presentation to current or prospective students of misleading, false or fraudulent information relating to a course of instruction, employment opportunity, or opportunities for enrollment in accredited institutions of higher education after entering or completing courses offered by the institution;
e. failure to provide or maintain premises or equipment for offering courses or instruction in a safe and sanitary condition;
f. failure to maintain financial resources and stability adequate for the satisfactory conduct of courses of study or to retain a sufficient number of qualified faculty;
g. the signing of an application or the holding of authorization by a person who has pleaded guilty or has been found guilty of a felony or any other indictable offense;
h. the signing of an application or the holding of authorization by a person who is addicted to the use of any narcotic drug or who is found to be mentally incompetent;
i. conviction or a plea of nolo contendere on the part of any owner, CEO, operator, or director of an approved institution of any felony under Mississippi law or the law of another jurisdiction;
j. continued employment of faculty who have been convicted of, or entered a plea of nolo contendere to, any felony under Mississippi law or the law of another jurisdiction;
k. applicant was an owner, senior administrator, or governing board member of an institution that closed without providing a teach-out or refunds to students matriculating at the time of closure or had unpaid fees upon a closure of an institution; and
l. incompetence of any owner or administrator to operate a college or university.
B. The Commission may consider probation or other action for an institution subject to investigative, show-cause or disciplinary action by the Commission, an accrediting agency, or other state or federal agency. The institution may remain in probation or other status and be subject to additional monitoring and oversight until such time as the Commission determines that the adverse action has been corrected or lifted and the deficiency corrected, but no longer than eighteen months.
C. The Commission shall serve notice by registered mail to the institution's last known address, together with a statement of the reason(s) for the action.