(110 ILCS 145/10)
Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act: "Board" means the Board of Higher Education. "Distance learning" means instruction offered by any means where the student and faculty member are in separate physical locations. It includes, but is not limited to, online, interactive video or correspondence courses or programs. "Home state" means the state that regulates a participating institution and its distance learning programs. A state cannot be the "home state" unless the institution of higher learning either has a physical presence in that state or holds its principal institutional accreditation in that state. "Participation agreement" means the agreement that each participating institution is required to sign and abide by in order to take advantage of the reciprocity agreement.
"Participating institution" means any institution of higher learning that offers an associate's degree or higher, in whole or in part, through distance learning and has voluntarily or willingly entered into a participation agreement to be regulated by a participating home state with respect to institutional and program approval, complaints, and institutional and program reviews. "Physical presence" means on-going occupation of a physical location for instructional purposes or maintenance of an administrative office to facilitate instruction. "State" means any state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the United States that is a participant in good standing in a state authorization reciprocity agreement.
"State authorization reciprocity agreement" or "reciprocity agreement" means a voluntary agreement that establishes reciprocity between willing states for approval of postsecondary educational services delivered by distance learning beyond state boundaries.
(Source: P.A. 98-792, eff. 1-1-15.) |