PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Ensure Integrity of For-profit Colleges and Universities’
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A in the first line (page 1, line 3 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: " college " the following: ' or university '
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A in subsection 1 in paragraph C in subparagraph (4) in the first line (page 1, line 14 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "college" the following: 'or university'
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A in subsection 1 in paragraph D in subparagraph (1) in the 2nd line (page 1, line 18 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "college" the following: 'or university'
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A in subsection 1 in paragraph E in the first line (page 1, line 29 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "college" the following: 'or university'
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A in subsection 1 by inserting after paragraph F the following:
 
‘G. "Regional accreditation" means a formal status granted by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education to an institution meeting or exceeding the educational quality criteria as stated in the regional accrediting agency's publication in order to assess and enhance the educational quality of an institution, ensure consistency in institutional operations, promote institutional improvement and provide for public accountability.’
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A in subsection 2 in the first line (page 1, line 36 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "college" the following: 'or university'
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A in subsection 2 in paragraph A in the 2nd line (page 2, line 4 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "college" the following: 'or university'
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A in subsection 2 in paragraph C in the 2nd line (page 2, line 11 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "employed; and" and inserting the following: 'employed;'
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A in subsection 2 in paragraph D in subparagraph (2) in the last line (page 2, line 18 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "service." and inserting the following: 'service; and'
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A in subsection 2 by inserting after paragraph D the following:
 
‘E. The design and implementation of student support services, including the process by which student complaints are handled in a timely and effective manner and information on the number and nature of complaints received and the responses to those complaints.’
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A by striking out all of subsection 3 (page 2, lines 19 to 32 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
 
‘3.  Evaluation.     The state board shall by rule establish metrics to determine adequate educational standards that must be met by for-profit colleges and universities. The metrics must include at least the following evaluation criteria.
 
A.  The state board shall evaluate spending priorities by using information supplied pursuant to subsection 2, paragraph A. If the state board finds a for-profit college or university spends less than 50% of its total spending on instruction or more than 15% of its total spending on advertising, the state board must find that the for-profit college or university fails to meet adequate educational standards.
 
B.  The state board shall determine whether a for-profit college or university has received necessary regional accreditations to allow graduates to meet professional licensing or other career standards related to the educational programs for which degrees or certificates are granted by the for-profit college or university. If the state board finds a for-profit college or university has not received the necessary regional accreditations, the state board must find that the for-profit college or university fails to meet adequate educational standards.
 
C. The state board shall evaluate the design and implementation of student support services, including whether the complaint process by which student complaints are handled is transparent, includes an appropriate official to receive complaints and provides appropriate and timely responses to complaints. If the state board finds that a for-profit college or university does not have adequate or appropriate student support services, the board may find that the for-profit college or university fails to meet adequate educational standards.’
Amend the bill in section 1 in §10706-A in subsection 5 in the 3rd line (page 2, line 38 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "college" the following: 'or university'
Amend the bill in section 2 in §10712 by striking out all of subsection 5 (page 3, lines 19 to 21 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
 
‘5.  Failure of certain institutions to meet adequate educational standards.    The educational institution has failed to meet adequate educational standards under section 10706-A.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment makes the following clarifications and changes to the bill.
1. It clarifies that the bill applies to for-profit colleges and universities.
2. It clarifies that the required accreditation requirements for-profit colleges and universities must satisfy are regional accreditations.
3. It adds a requirement that student support services, including the process by which student complaints are handled, be reviewed as part of the evaluation by the State Board of Education to determine whether adequate educational standards are being met by a for-profit college or university.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)