Alabama Administrative Code
Title 300 - ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Chapter 300-2-2 - PROGRAM VIABILITY REVIEW
Section 300-2-2-.03 - Certification Of Previously Enrolled Vocational/Technical Students As Graduates For Purposes Of Program Viability

(1) Background: Act 96-557 provides that in vocational and technical programs, a student who leaves the program for purposes of gainful employment, in the same field of study as the program, having obtained the skills in said program, shall be counted as a graduate. However, the act states that it is the responsibility of the institution to document and verify to the reasonable satisfaction of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education that the student should be counted as a graduate as provided in this section. The act further states that the documentation shall include the name of the specific employer and the point in said program that student obtained said employment. Note: A sample certification form is filed as an attachment to this rule.

(2) Policy: The Commission will count a student previously enrolled in vocational/technical programs as a graduate for purposes of program viability if the institution can document that the student successfully completed a minimum of 20 quarter hours or 15 semester hours of technical skills courses during the reporting period and left the program for purposes of gainful employment in-field. The Alabama Commission on Higher Education will audit institutions at its discretion for compliance with this policy. For purposes of such audits, the institutions will retain detailed official documentation of the information submitted on the Certification of Alternate Completions form (refer to attachment 1). If an audit finds falsified information has been reported for a student on the alternate completions form, that student will not be counted as a graduate of the program which could affect the program's designation as viable or non-viable.

(3) For definitions which apply to this policy, see "Definitions Related to the Certification of Alternate Completions in Two-Year Programs,"300-2-2-.04, (2), (a)-(g).

Author: Kitty C. Collier