Regulatory Environment
Describe how the regulatory environment has changed over the past few years. What impact have these changes had on your school?
The regulatory environment has definitely changed over the last few years, and I think it is for the better. When the new compliance policies came down, a lot of admissions representatives were very unhappy and expressed concerns about whether they would be able to comply. After learning what is expected, I think the majority of Admissions personnel realized they were already being honest and trying to do what was in the student's best interest. Once they learned all of the areas of opportunity to improve their services, they were able to improve the overall experience of enrolling in school for the student and for the school. I do think that some of the people who were not compliant, and who were misleading students, have been weeded out due to the regulations in place and I think this is a very good thing.
Gina,
Many of the admissions people are nervous about changing their methodology. Over time they will come to realize the value in solid enrollments that mature into graduates. Thank you for your good response.
Cindy Bryant
The regulatory environment has become much more controlled, with state agencies and the federal government regulating our industry to a much higher degree under a higher level of scrutiny. This has impacted my job immensely as more paperwork is required, more care is needed in completing any reports and applications to ensure all information is accurate and in compliance with new regulations. A high level of outside scrutiny has become the norm.
There is increasing pressure at each level of the regulatory triad for postsecondary institutions to reflect on their practices. Although the changes wrought by closer regulatory scrutiny is anxiety-producing and expensive, I regard it as necessary to ensure that students' and US tax payers' investments are protected. Educational attainment is the primary means to social mobility and self-determination in the US, but the freedom that comes with education is meaningless unless the education students receive prepares them to teach themselves for the rest of their lives. Only the very best educational institutions can deliver at that level and any regulatory leverage that encourages institutional excellence should be valued.
I know in my own experience in career and technical training, the regulatory environment has moved from a focus on faculty who have the technical expertise in the field to more educational criteria (a masters, doctorate in the field of study). The challenge for the institutions have been to work with faculty to achieve the required education while maintaining their expertise in the field. This has placed more challenge on the institution and the faculty, but has lead to a stronger educated workforce providing a strong education to students.
It has gotten incredibly more scrutinized every time we turn around. There are more and more regulations- whether it comes from the Feds, the VA, the state, or accreditor- it's almost non-stop. The theme of consumer protection has grown stronger in that more information is public and the public wants to use it in all of it's decisions. The impact on my school(s) is that I am much busier trying to track processes and procedures and then figuring out how to collect and report back on them. This has become a full time job.
The regulatory environment has become much more prescriptive in recent years forcing schools to become more vigilant in applying rules and regulations. This has also had the negative effect of making it more expensive for schools possibly eroding the school's ability to provide academic and support services to its students. In a quest for more accountability, these new rules often focus more on accounting for small processes that may not contribute to a better academic experience of students. It may, in fact, make the experience worse instead of better. As an industry we have to constantly maintain a high level of service to students while maintaining a higher level of compliance. Not an easy proposition.
How can we do this and still stay in business?
The proposed changes to HEA with gainful employment requirements was a huge game-changer for all of us; fortunately it appears that the courts have struck this down, but the gist of what the regulations would have required of us will persist as these get integrated into consumer disclosure requirements and general expecations in the industry. Thus, it's important for us to be self-policing/self-regulating and be reviewing for compliance regularly as a way of doing business.
The changes in the regulatory environment have really made a focus on doing the right thing. It has put focus on ensuring that policies and processes are in place to ensure the integrity and trust of the employees at the schools.
Candace,
In what way has your institutions policies and procedures helped you focus on "Doing the Right Thing"?
Cindy Bryant
Tony,
Many times we ask ourselves which is better experience or education. It is important that we strive to strike the balance just as you are attempting to do at your institution. It is hard work but in the end everyone wins.
Cindy Bryant
Angela,
The goal of every educational establishment is to impart knowledge, within the scope of regulations, to their students that will enable them to succeed. Will this regulatory environment have an effect on our students success? How will success be measured is the greater question?
Cindy Bryant
"Imparting knowledge" is manifestly NOT a goal of higher education, but might be a goal of primary or secondary education. Education is not something that can be "imparted," e.g., done to someone else, and most certainly will not result in sufficiently positive long-term results for individuals or a society. The goal of postsecondary education is to teach students how to think critically: how to access information, assess information, synthesize information, make rational decisions and arguments based on information, and use information creatively and thoughtfully. Regulations support that form of education when they insist upon qualified professionals who understand the nature of learning (e.g. don't allow institutions to hire and underpay individuals who think that teaching is "imparting" anything).
Angela,
Thank you for your response. The Department of Education's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. I believe that the the USDE has taken this to a new dimension with the Program Integrity rules. While they have the right to address educational issues have they gone too far?
You truly challenged me to think about the true meaning of education. I see education and educators goal to inspire learners. To influence directly and immediately impact the mind of the learner through the quality of the writings or lectures. Once a person is inspired they will go to great lengths to understand the subject matter which leads to the elements of your response.
Cindy Bryant
Richard,
You raise valid points regarding GE. As a sector we will continue to live with the ramifications of Program Integrity rules regardless of whether or not GE disappears or manifests itself in a new form. I believe that all of us have learned that we must maintain a stronger line of compliance at all times.
Cindy Bryant
Jim,
This to shall pass. In the past few years the career school and college sector has ramped up their compliance initiatives which have been costly indeed. Everyone has scrambled to create new disclosures, new policies and new procedures. This has created a need for intense training with a goal to change an organizational mindset and the way we have operated on daily basis. In my opinion once the mindset has evolved we will start to level out and resume focus daily operations once our institutions understand the reason behind the madness.
Cindy Bryant
The changes in the regulatory environment have helped to enhance the overall objective of the Education Industry as a whole. The idea is to inform the students properly and allow them to make the decision that is appropriate to them. In finding the right students for your institution and in turn allowing them to find the right fit for their lives, full transparency should always be our number one priority. If informed properly about what lies ahead for a student, they will be better prepared to handle any adversity.
Because of the increase in negative press we are under a bigger microscope by all regulatory agencies. The biggest impact that we have had has been in the area adding additional personnel in the areas of compliance. We have also seen an increase in faculty and staff training.
I totally agree. At the beginning of all the changes our Admissions people did have some trouble changing their thinking but i believe they are now seeing the benefits of having more committed enrollments who will graduate a make a better life for themselves.
