Badge Evidence | Completed Courses (4 Hours Each)
CM101Internal Audits: Building a Compliant Campus
This course provides an overview of the methodology and guidelines to help you outline an audit plan for your institution. You will learn how to define audit scope and determine the audit approach which fits your organization. The course provides tips for successful audits and reviews audit areas for each functional department of a typical campus, including admissions, financial aid, student accounts, education/academics, and career services. Other business areas including marketing and advertising, human resources, information security and other key areas are also reviewed to provide you with a full scope audit outline. The course concludes with information on reports, audit documentation, and follow-up recommendations following the field audit activities.
CM102Raising the Bar - Compliant Communications with Students
This course is designed for employees of all roles and levels at institutions that participate in federal financial aid programs. The course provides an awareness of prohibited acts which could adversely impact operations, and covers the requirements which must be adhered to in order to maintain good standing with state* and federal regulations as outlined in the Program Integrity rules. Emphasis is on areas of misrepresentation related to advertising and recruitment activities, interactions with prospective students and appropriate communication of disclosures and other publications.
*This course currently covers the regulations for the following states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NM, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA. Course participants can select specific state(s) at the beginning of the course to customize the training content to their state.
CM104Compliant Interactions: Acting with Integrity
This compliance training course is designed for admissions, financial aid and career services employees of accredited institutions participating in federal financial aid programs. The course provides a clear and practical understanding of the federal regulations that govern the conduct of your institution and correspondingly underlay the performance of your job. The purpose of the course is not to train you to become a regulatory expert, but to provide the information you need to do or say the right thing when interacting with both prospective and enrolled students, as well as the consequences of doing or saying the wrong thing whether by mistake or with intent. More importantly, the course emphasizes that 'Doing the Right Thing' ensures that we provide an environment of trust where prospective students receive the information they need to make informed decisions about their education.
CM106Creating a Compliant Culture: Do's and Don'ts
This course is designed for campus management and employees at all levels seeking a better understanding of creating a compliant culture in today's regulatory environment. It summarizes the importance of creating a culture that aligns with regulatory oversight as the cornerstone of an organization. A synopsis is provided on the interwoven relationship of the Triad with emphasis on the Program Integrity rules. This course also explores the "Do’s and Don’ts" for communicating with students throughout their education whether it is during enrollment, financial aid, education or career services. Additionally, specific sections provide management with a more comprehensive review of Program Integrity rules and how they impact faculty and staff interactions with students.
CM107Sustaining a Culture of Compliance: The Role of Faculty and Staff
This course is designed for either an institution’s full or part time staff and faculty members. The course focuses on building and sustaining a campus-wide culture of compliance as opposed to simply providing a multitude of standards and regulations. In short, CM107 hopes to provide the information staff and faculty need to say or do the right things when interacting with both prospective and enrolled students about their education - online or face-to-face - as well as the consequences of saying or doing the wrong things whether by mistake or with intent. Components on ethics, customer service and fostering a culture of compliance in the new normal of educational delivery are also included.
CM140Title IX and VAWA Training: Building Safer Campuses
This course is designed to assist personnel at all levels of an educational institution in the understanding of the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 ("Title IX") as amended on August 1, 2024, and the Clery Act as amended in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 ("VAWA"). These laws require that all individuals in an educational institution understand and comply with the laws in terms of what is prohibited behavior in relation to sex-based harassment and/or sexual violence, and what steps are to be followed when such prohibited conduct occurs. This course gives the participants information about the laws, as well as procedures to follow, to provide for the rights of all individuals under the laws. It also provides additional resources to assist educational institutions in continuing to build and strengthen their Title IX and VAWA policies, procedures and training throughout the year.
CM141FERPA and Privacy: A Practical Approach
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA or the Buckley Amendment) is a federal law in the United States designed to provide students with access to, and the privacy of, their educational records. The law applies to students in higher education and educational institutions that receive funding under a program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. This course is designed to provide participants with a working knowledge of FERPA guidelines to ensure proper handling of educational records and other institutional requirements.
CM142Understanding Title IX, VAWA, and the Clery Act
This course will review Title IX, the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. In addition to the background of each topic, victim rights, support system implementation, and grievance policies will also be explored.
The goal of this course is to help develop a better understanding of the topic and produce tangible resources to help implement plans, strategies, and ideas at your school.
In addition to lecture videos, links to resources, and assessments, you will be able to utilize the Journal and Learning Activities. Take advantage of a method that works best for you.
CM150Understanding the Language and Intention of Accreditation Standards
In this course, using your accrediting body’s criteria, you will study the language and intention of accreditation. Participants will develop a different perspective on the self-study process and an understanding of how to craft the self-study report to effectively communicate how present practices meet the standards. Discover what the standards really are and what it takes to meet them, interpret and communicate your institution’s current operating practices in the context of the criteria, and develop a more accurate understanding and expression of how your institution can provide the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance.
CM151Onsite Visits - Be Ready Anytime
Is your campus ready for a full unannounced visit at any time? Onsite visits are becoming more frequent in recent years and unannounced visits even more so. This training is designed to aid campus leaders to be prepared, using best practices and practical tools, to host an onsite visitor at any time, including visits that are unannounced, by any organization such as state agencies, veterans’ organizations, regional, national and programmatic accrediting agencies and the Department of Education.
CM201Admissions Compliance for Postsecondary Schools in Florida
The Florida Commission for Independent Education (CIE) requires that all Admissions Directors, Representatives, and Agents complete approved training. The purpose is to ensure that admissions staff provides prospective students with clear and accurate information. The required training program focuses on fair consumer practices pursuant to Sections 1005.04 and 1005.34, Florida Statutes and Rule 6E-1.0032, Florida Administrative Code. This course is approved by the Commission and covers fair consumer practices for all admissions staff, including Agents who work off campus. The course includes regulatory information, best practices to stay in compliance, and methods to learn about your specific institutions policies, procedures, programs, and services.
CIE requires annual training for admissions staff to renew their license. This course meets the CIE training requirement. By using this course, institutions do not have to create their own training program for approval. In addition, this course provides 4 hours of continuing education approved by the Commission.
CM221Florida Admissions: Complying with the Rules and Regulations
This course is designed for Florida Admissions Directors, Representatives, and Agents who interact with prospective students at both Title IV and Non-Title IV institutions. The course includes Florida's specific regulatory requirements that admissions, staff and faculty must understand including what can and cannot be said to applicants and students. Additionally, the course covers the consequences, disciplinary actions, and penalties when rules and regulations are not followed.
This is the 2nd level compliance training course approved by CIE for admissions personnel who have completed CM201 but still need to meet their annual training requirement set forth by CIE. By using this course, institutions do not have to create their own training program for approval. In addition, this course provides 4 hours of continuing education approved by the Commission.
CM251Students with Disabilities: Legal Obligations and Opportunities
This course provides faculty, staff, and administrators with an understanding of the legal mandates regarding equal access for students with disability. More importantly, it provides a practical framework to help institutional personnel know what to say and do in the context of their defined role and interactions with students with disabilities. Topics include the civil rights nature of applicable Federal law, definitional issues, the impact of disability on traditional education activities and pursuits, reasonable accommodations, and the unique responsibilities of faculty, staff, and administrators as prescribed by their position.
FA110Developing an Efficient Financial Aid Office
This course provides a blueprint for running an effective financial aid office in an educational institution. You will learn to optimize the performance of your financial aid office with a minimum of waste, expense, and unnecessary effort. The course covers the cornerstones of an efficient financial aid office: timeliness, accuracy and customer service. You will also be advised of pitfalls to avoid in the realm of Title IV compliance. You will learn the key points to building an effective business office processing procedure. Reports and notifications required by the Department of Education are also explained. In addition, you will be given pointers on preparation for the annual Student Financial Aid (SFA) compliance audit and alerted to the most common triggers for Department of Education Program Reviews.
FA120Default Prevention: A State of Mind
This course offers proven-successful techniques that ultimately prevent student loan delinquencies and defaults. Because there is not one miracle that reduces the chance of student loan defaults, this compilation of ideas and practices collectively greatly reduces those risks by giving ownership of the loan responsibilities to the students who benefit from them. By integrating effective borrower education and interaction from the day your students walk through your front door, your students will embrace the state of mind needed to give them lifetime accountability for their Federal Student Loans obligations.
FA230Financial Aid Management - Compliance without Compromise
With a seemingly endless stream of new laws and regulations, institutions have become burdened with ensuring they are compliant, while continuing to give great customer service to their students and families and all while achieving larger institutional goals. The role of the Financial Aid Office in compliance cannot be underestimated, but the Director of Financial Aid cannot ensure compliance in a vacuum.
This course is designed to examine the fundamentals of law and regulation, and of the enforcement process. More importantly, this course provides tools for School Directors, Chief Financial Officers, Enrollment Managers, and Financial Aid staff to develop and build compliant practices that don’t interfere with effective operations, customer service or institutional goals.
FA231Regulatory Compliance - Outside the Financial Aid Office
This course will help participants to interpret the many rules and regulations that are required by educational institutions offering Title IV funding. It will aid in preparing management and faculty in recognizing that compliance is the responsibility of the entire institution and is not just the job of the Financial Aid Office. Course content will also aid the individual in building a “culture of compliance" which will encourage teamwork and secure the cooperation of others on campus.
OP105Developing a Five-year Plan for Your Educational Institution
What will your institution look like in five years? Growth takes change and the commitment of the stakeholders in your organization. A five-year plan is essential for any owner or director of an educational institution, no matter how long they have been in the business. It includes various elements such as your enrollment goals for all programs, plans for new programs, new profit center potential, fees and all financial aid opportunities, enhancement of student services, faculty and staff planning, marketing and development strategies, and planning for physical space to support your expansion goals. Also, development plans are often needed to satisfy licensing and accreditation requirements.
This course covers the essential components and techniques involved in developing a comprehensive five-year plan. We will show you an effective step-by-step planning process that involves the participation of representatives from your institution including staff, instructors, students, graduates, and the employers who hire your graduates. The process encourages participants to share their knowledge and ideas, and everyone who participates in the process ultimately becomes a stakeholder in making the plan work. The course includes planning worksheets that you can download and use to help you develop your institution’s five-year plan.
OP110Developing Effective Advisory and Governing Boards
Vital advisory and governing boards create additional opportunities to enhance operations within an educational institution. Well-prepared board members engaged in appropriate and timely activities can make a substantial contribution to operational, financial and management success. Creating, managing and maintaining effective advisory and governing boards can be a demanding yet rewarding process. Board members have to be identified, recruited, and trained to be effective and to understand their role as individual contributors and as members of a group of advisors. To gain maximum leverage from a board, members must also remain motivated and retain a concentrated focus on the institution's mission, purpose and goals. This course will provide a blueprint, with accompanying checklists, for establishing and maintaining effective advisory and governing boards in an educational institution.