Sec.19a-519-4. Program approval

Program approval shall be administered as follows:

(a) Initial approval shall be granted to a program in the following manner:

(1) The program shall provide to the Commissioner:

(A) Written notice of intent to seek program approval;

(B) A feasibility study for the planned program, which shall include discussion of at least the following:

(i) Applicant pool;

(ii) Graduate employment opportunities;

(iii) Educational and training facilities to be utilized;

(iv) Funding sources to be utilized

(C) A plan for the employment of program director and faculty. The plan shall specify the numbers and types of staff to be employed, the requisite qualifications of such staff, the timelines for employment of such staff, and projected future staffing needs.

(D) A comprehensive plan for the development and implementation of the educational program, including admission policies, educational objectives, curricula, course outlines, course sequences, graduation requirements, staffing, residency training or field experience sites, residency training or field experience supervisors, timelines, and a systematic self-evaluation plan;

(E) Any other information that the Commissioner may reasonably request.

(2) Pending satisfactory reviews of the program's educational standards, such initial approval shall remain in effect until the results of the first two licensure exams for program participants are available. However, the Commissioner shall have the discretion to conduct an earlier re-evaluation of program approval status should educational deficiencies become apparent during the period of initial approval.

(3) Acceptable program graduate performance shall be defined as at least an average of 80% of all program graduates who take the exam within any one year period successfully passing the licensing exam.

(4) Initial approval can only be retained for a maximum of eighteen months from the date of first program graduate.

(5) Conditional approval may be granted for one year to a program previously having initial or full approval if:

(A) The graduates of the program fail to achieve the standards prescribed in subsection (a) (3) of this section; or

(B) The program has initiated a major change from the approved plan pursuant to subsection (d) of this section.

(C) The program is not administered in a manner consistent with these regulations.

(6) Special progress reports shall be required of programs under conditional approval status.

(b) Full approval is granted by the Commissioner after the initial or conditional approval based on evidence that the program is meeting its educational objectives as demonstrated by graduates' performance, as defined in subsection (a) (3) of this section and that the program has maintained compliance with these regulations.

(c) The Commissioner, after a hearing, may remove a program from the list of approved programs when:

(1) The program has been on conditional approval for at least one year and has failed to correct identified deficiencies which caused it to be placed on conditional status;

(2) The Commissioner provides written notice of such hearing to the program director setting forth the particular reasons for the proposed action and fixing a date, not less than thirty days from the date of such written notice, at which time representatives of the program will have an opportunity for a hearing;

(3) Upon completion of the hearing, the commissioner makes a decision regarding what action should be taken regarding the program;

(d) When a change is sought in the program director, faculty, curriculum or training experiences, the previously approved program must remain in place until the new program is approved by the Commissioner. Notice of such change shall be sent to the Commissioner accompanied by:

(1) Rationale for change;

(2) Concise presentation of current vs. proposed program;

(3) Explanation of the effects of changes on:

(i) Currently enrolled students;

(ii) Functions and roles of graduates of new program.

(4) Timetable for implementation of change.

(Effective October 30, 1987)