ITEM 110-105-R0301� ATTACHMENT���������������������������������������������������������������
March
22-23, 2001
TO:� �������������� Board
of Regents
FROM:� �������� Richard A.
Crofts
����������������������� Commissioner of Higher
Education
RE:� �������������� New
Policy on Recognition of Accrediting Agencies
DATE:� ��������� March
22-23, 2001
The
legislature has, in three different MCA sections, made the applicability of the
statute to postsecondary schools outside the University System dependent on
whether or not the school is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by
the Board of Regents.� At present the
Regents have no policy that lists such recognized accrediting agencies.� The new policy corrects that omission.� The three statutes are all reproduced at the
end of the next paragraph.
For
the first two statutes the policy recognizes the 6 regional accrediting agencies
generally acknowledged as the standard accrediting bodies for academic
institutions.� This is because these
statutes on their face contemplate that the schools in question should either
grant a baccalaureate degree (see 15-30-163 MCA) or grant a �degree or such similar literary honors as are usually granted by
universities or colleges� (see 20-25-107 MCA).�
The third statute (37-29-203 MCA) deals only with the eligibility to
apply for a denturitry license.� For
this statute the proposed policy recognizes not only the 6 regional academic
accrediting agencies but also those accepted and approved by the Council on
Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).�
I am led to believe that at present CHEA does not recognize any accrediting
agency for denturitry schools.�
Nevertheless, the adoption of this policy by the Regents would indicate
to the denturists the avenue they must go down to get recognition as
contemplated by the statute and would, in my opinion, fulfill the legislative
charge given to the Regents.
The
three current statutes that speak of accrediting agencies �recognized� by the
Regents are the following:
�15-30-163� Credit for
contributions to university system or private college foundations.
�� (1)� An individual,
corporation, partnership, or small business corporation, as defined in
15-31-201, is allowed a tax credit against taxes imposed by 15-30-103 or
15-31-101 in an amount equal to 10% of the aggregate amount of charitable
contributions made by the taxpayer during the year to any of the general endowment
funds of the Montana university system foundations or a general endowment fund
of a Montana private college or its foundation. The maximum credit that a
taxpayer may claim in a year under this section is $ 500.
The credit allowed under
this section may not exceed the taxpayer's income tax liability.
�� (2)� There is no
carryback or carryforward of the credit permitted under this section, and the
credit must be applied in the year the donation is made, as determined by the taxpayer's� accounting method.
�� (3) (a)� For the purposes
of this section, "foundation" means a nonprofit organization that is
created exclusively for the benefit of any unit of the Montana university
system or a Montana private college and that is exempt from taxation under section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
�� (b)� For the purposes of
this section, "Montana private college" means a nonprofit private
educational institution:
�� (i)� whose main campus
and primary operations are within the state; and
�� (ii)� that offers
baccalaureate degree level education and is accredited for that purpose
by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the board of regents
of higher education.
�20-25-107� Regulation of award of degrees -- penalty.
�� (1)� No person,
corporation, association, or institution shall issue any degree or such similar
literary honors as are usually granted by universities or colleges without the
prior approval of the regents of the adequacy of the course of study.
�� (2)� This section does
not apply to any educational institution accredited by an educational
accrediting association whose accrediting is found by the regents to be
generally recognized by state and other universities in the United States.
(3)
Violation of this section
is a misdemeanor.
37-29-303� Application for license.
�� Upon application and payment of the appropriate fee, the board
shall issue a license to practice denturitry to any applicant who meets the
following criteria and scores a passing grade on the examination for licensure:
�� (1)� documentation that
the applicant has completed formal training of not less than 2 years at an educational
institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized
by the Montana state board of regents, the curriculum of which
includes courses in head and oral anatomy and physiology, oral pathology,
microbiology, partial denture construction and design, clinical dental
technology, radiology, dental laboratory technology, asepsis, clinical
jurisprudence, and medical emergencies, including cardiopulmonary
resuscitation; and
�� (2)� documentation that
the applicant:
�� (a)� has completed 1 year
of internship under the direct supervision of a licensed denturist; or
�� (b)� has 3 years of
experience as a denturist under licensure in another state or Canada.