9 Miss. Code. R. 7-4
Term | Definition |
Accreditation | Accreditation is a voluntary review process to determine if educational programs meet defined standards of quality. Accreditation is completed through different organizations. CPSCR only acknowledges accrediting agencies recognized/authorized by the United States Department of Education. |
Agent | Any person employed by an institution licensed by the commission, regardless of job title, job description, full-time or part-time employment status, who directly or indirectly influences the decision of any prospective student to enroll for a fee in a course of instruction. This includes marketing representatives and individuals that represent institutions at job fairs. This does not apply to financial aid representatives. |
Annex | An Annex is an additional physical location of a registered institution that offers the same courses/programs as are offered at the registered institution; and is under the same ownership, management and control as the registered institution. |
Blended/Hybrid Education | This is a formal educational program in which students access a portion of the curriculum through web-based content and also receive in-person instruction at a brick-and-mortar location. The online and face-to-face components work together to deliver an integrated learning experience. Anyone, or a combination, of the following, constitutes a change of ownership: |
Change of Ownership | * Sale of the institution or the majority of its assets; * Division of one (1) or more institutions into two (2) or more institutions; * Transfer of the controlling interest in stock of the institution or its parent corporation; * Transfer of the liabilities of the institution to its parent corporation; * Lease or rental of an institution. |
Commission | The Commission on Proprietary School and College Registration established under MS Code 75-60-1, Senate Bill 2636. |
Correspondence education | Means a home study educational process under which the institution provides instructional materials, by mail or electronic transmission, including examinations on the |
materials, to students who are separated from the instructor. Interaction between the instructor and the student is limited, is not regular and substantive, and is primarily initiated by the student; courses are typically self-paced. Correspondence education is not distance education as defined in this glossary. | |
Course | The offering of instruction to individuals for a charge, fee or contribution of any kind, to a person or persons for the purpose of training or preparing such person(s) for a field of endeavor in a business, trade, technical or industrial occupation. |
Distance education | Means a formal educational process in which the instruction in a course occurs when students and instructors are not in the same place. Instruction may be asynchronous or synchronous. Distance education uses the technologies set forth in this paragraph to deliver instructions to students and to support regular, substantive interaction between students and instructors. A distance education course instructor may use any of, but not limited to, the following technologies: the Internet; one-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite or wireless communications devices; audio conferencing; or video cassettes, DVDs and CD-ROMs if used as part of the distance-learning course or program. |
Enrollment Contract/Agreement | The enrollment agreement is the contract signed between the student and the institution. The agreement specifies the conditions under which the school will provide instruction to the student. It also specifies all costs a student must pay in order to enroll in a specific school program. The student and an authorized agent of the school must date and sign the agreement prior to the time instruction begins. |
First year after initial registration | Twelve (12) calendar months immediately following the effective date of issuance of an initial Certificate of Registration. |
General Education courses | Means a unit of learning that is non-technical in nature and is a fundamental part of a program. The content is drawn from oral and written communications, social studies, mathematics, natural sciences, and the humanities. |
Graduate | Any student (full-time or part-time) who upon completion of a program of study receives a certificate, license, or diploma from a proprietary institution licensed by the commission. |
Gross Annual Tuition | Means the tuition income (minus tuition refunds) received by a registered school and its annexes in approved programs as computed over a consecutive 12-month period. Fees for GAT, as defined in Appendix A, are paid at the end of each fiscal year as defined by CPSCR. |
Proprietary Institution | A "proprietary school" or "school" is any private, for-profit or nonprofit business enterprise that maintains a place of business in this state or seeks business there, is not expressly exempt by MS Code Section 75-60-5, and provides a course or courses of instruction that prepare the individual or individuals in question for employment in a trade, business, technical, or industrial capacity or study through classroom instruction, telecommunications or electronic media technology, or any combination of these for a fee. |
Institution Chief Operating Officer | Person responsible for the daily operations of an institution. Interchangeable with Institution Director. |
Institution Director | Person responsible for the daily operations of an institution. Interchangeable with Institution Chief Operating Officer. |
Institution owner | If the institution is owned by an individual, that individual; if the Institution is owned by a partnership, all partners; if the institution is owned by a corporation, the officers, and directors of the corporation. |
Last day of student attendance | The date that a student gives written notice to the institution that he /she has withdrawn; or the date on which a student meets all of the following conditions: The student has failed to attend classes for thirty (30) successive calendar days; and The institution has notified the student, and that the student will be considered withdrawn if he/she does not notify the institution to the contrary within twelve (12) calendar days from the date on which the letter is mailed (postmarked); or The student fails to respond within the twelve (12) day period. |
Non-Technical Course | Means a unit of learning that is non-technical in nature and includes general education courses, basic/college life skills, or other related courses as determined by the Commission. |
Normal time to completion | The published time period required for completion of a program of study. |
Occupational Degree | Means a credential awarded by a school upon successful completion of an associate degree program and designated as "applied or occupational" in the creditial title. This program shall contain a minimum of 60% technical course credits/clock hours. Associate degree programs designed primarily for immediate employment should be designated as an Associate in Applied Science degree, or other appropriate title, and identified with a specialty designation. This identification of a specialty or major implies relevant preparation for employment in a specific area of work and should be specified on the students' document of completion. |
Program of study | A series of individual courses in an area of specialization for which a diploma, degree, certificate or other written evidence of proficiency or achievement is offered/awarded. |
Quarter | An instructional term of up to fourteen (14) weeks. |
Recruitment | Recruitment is the process of searching for prospective students and motivating them to apply for enrollment at the institution. |
Registered location | The location for which a certificate of registration is valid excluding, any annexes or franchise locations. |
Short-Term Professional Development Training Courses (Continuing Education Units) | Specialized training courses intended to help increase professional knowledge and skills for experienced individuals. These courses have no more than 20 contact hours and are non-credit bearing courses. These include, but not limited to, seminars, workshops, and continuing education. |
Semester | An instructional term of fifteen (15), sixteen (16), seventeen (17), or eighteen (18) weeks. |
Student | Any person who enters into a student enrollment contract or agreement. |
Student catalog | A typed and bound publication that is readily identifiable as a catalog. The catalog must be designed and written to convey accurate impressions of the institution. The catalog must avoid false or misleading statements. The catalog should provide sufficient detailed data to enable prospective students to clearly understand their opportunities, limitations, and obligations. Each student must be given a copy of this catalog upon enrollment. Students may be provided with a digital link to or copy of the catalog in lieu of a physically bound document. If only a digital copy/link is provided to the student, acknowledgment of receipt must be in the student's record. |
Student Mastery | Students' successful completion of a nationally recognized examination or comprehensive exam for a program of study. Mastery is calculated by the completion of a grade of "C" or better. |
Technical Course | Means a unit of learning which yields skills, knowledge and understanding essential to the specific occupation for which the program is designed. |
Temporary Certificate of Registration | This status allows an institution to operate under provisional authorization. Terms of the operation will be assessed based on the reason for the issuance of the temporary certificate. Additional monitoring by CPSCR staff is required on all operations. |
Term | The amount of instructional time covered by an enrollment period. |
The Director | The Director of the Commission on Proprietary School and College Registration. |
Voluntary Suspension | This status allows a school to maintain its approval, but they cannot enroll, advertise or provide instruction. The institution will pay the applicable fee for the "voluntary suspension" status, which allows them to go become active again without having to go through the entire approval status again. This may be renewed only twice and will be reviewed annually. |
Working capital | Current assets less current liabilities; it is a measure of whether a company will have sufficient resources to meet short-term debts. Institutions for initial authorization must have unrestricted liquid funds available in at least the amount of 90 days of projected expenses. |
Payments must be submitted in the form of a check or money order made out to "The Commission on Proprietary School and College Registration." Send payments to:
Commission on Proprietary School and College Registration
3825 Ridgewood Road, Sixth Floor
Jackson, Mississippi 39211 Payments are nonrefundable.
9 Miss. Code. R. 7-4