Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 5, February 29, 2024
(1)
Purpose. It is
the responsibility of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to establish
policies and procedures for administering the Academic Common Market (ACM)
Program in Alabama.
(2)
Definition. The Academic Common Market is a consortium
of 16 Southern states that belong to the Southern Regional Education Board
(SREB). Through this program, students wishing to pursue study in uncommon
programs not available within their home states may be able to attend
out-of-state graduate programs at in-state tuition rates. Selected
baccalaureate programs also are available to residents of 15 of these
states.
(3)
Participants. The following states are partners in the
ACM consortium and abide by the policies of the SREB: Alabama, Arkansas,
Delaware, Florida (graduate programs only) , Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (graduate
programs only), Virginia, and West Virginia.
(4)
Program Access.
The State of Alabama will access programs through the ACM for its residents
only if three conditions are met:
(a) The
program does not duplicate a program offered by an Alabama
institution.
(b) The program is
offered to the ACM by the other state.
(c) The resident is unconditionally admitted
to the university and the program.
(5)
Program
Selection. Public universities in Alabama appoint ACM coordinators
who work with the Commission staff to make program selections for the State.
Each fall, coordinators review the list of programs available to the ACM, and
select those programs that are uncommon to the State to be available to Alabama
residents for the next year. The list of available programs changes, throughout
the year, depending on the willingness of other states to make programs
available, and the development of new programs in Alabama institutions that
duplicate those programs offered to the ACM. Access to programs is based on a
decision that similar programs (curriculum configurations, not necessarily
degree titles) are not available in Alabama and meet the following criteria:
(a) The program must be designed to culminate
in the conferral of a baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degree, and the
institution must be able to classify the participant as degree seeking. Degrees
or awards at the less-than associate, associate, and first professional level,
and post-baccalaureate and post-master's awards and certificate, are not
eligible for the ACM.
(b)
Correspondence and other degree programs operating out-of-state (relative to
the teaching institution) are not eligible for the ACM.
(c) Under the premise that such study may be
arranged in the home state, the independent combinations of available degree
programs such as biology and music should not be considered, nor should double
major or major/minor combinations that are independently set by students. If
both major programs of study qualify for inclusion in the ACM, then the state
and institution may allow the student to enroll in both programs. Coordinated
degree programs, such as joint Master of Business Administration (MBA)/Master
of Public Health (MPH) programs, should have a defined, published
structure.
(d) Degree program
titles do not necessarily define program content. As a guideline, at least
one-half of the courses in the major should consist of courses not available in
similar programs in the home state.
(e) Concentrations, options tracks, or
specialization within more general (and otherwise ineligible) degree programs
must be extraordinary, specific, and structured to merit eligibility for the
ACM. They must materially change the nature of the degree such that it is
markedly different from degree programs that exist in the state.
(f) Curricular differences will always exist
between two programs of study at different institutions. State coordinators are
responsible for determining whether to seek access to out-of-state programs,
based on the extent of the differences in curriculum.
(6)
Factors Explicitly Excluded
from Consideration for Eligibility of Programs for the ACM.
Several factors are explicitly excluded from consideration in determining the
eligibility of programs for the ACM. These include:
(a) Specific programmatic accreditation or
state licensure requirements.
(b)
The difficulty of access to in-state programs.
(c) The unavailability of a similar in-state
degree program with unique student services.
(d) Student amenities or other non-academic
features.
(e) The geographic
location of programs within the State of Alabama.
(7)
Alabama Resident
Participation in the Current ACM. If an Alabama resident requests
ACM access to one of the programs currently listed in the ACM Inventory for
Alabama residents, the Commission staff will send the Alabama resident an
application that requires proof of:
(a)
Alabama residency
(b) Unconditional
admittance to the university and the approved program.
(8)
Alabama Resident Requests for
Access to Programs Not Currently Listed with ACM. If an Alabama
resident requests ACM access to a program not listed in the ACM Inventory for
Alabama residents, the Commission staff will send the Alabama resident an
application that requires proof of:
(a)
Alabama residency
(b) Unconditional
admittance to the university and the approved program.
(c) Program non-duplication (proof must be
consistent with ACM guidelines)
(d)
If the State Coordinator determines that the program is available to the ACM
and should be made available to Alabama residents, he or she will send a
request to SREB and the university to add the program to the ACM. Once the
access is available, the State Coordinator will send a certification letter to
the Alabama resident and his/her university's ACM Coordinator, provided the
Alabama resident has fulfilled all ACM/ACHE requirements.
(9)
Appeals Process.
Should the State Coordinator deny access to the program based on the assessment
of the information provided by the student, the student may appeal the decision
to the Executive Director of the Commission.
(a) The Executive Director will consider an
appeal only when a student feels the State Coordinator's decision was made:
1. In error based on a misinterpretation of
the facts or
2. Contrary to ACM
policies
(b) An appeal
stating all pertinent points must be submitted in writing no later than 15 days
after the State Coordinator's decision has been made and the Alabama resident
must have on file the following:
1. An ACM
application
2. Proof of Alabama
residency
3. Proof of unconditional
admittance to the university and the approved program
4. An official program guide that includes
the courses and descriptions in the program that the student desires to access
through the ACM.
(c) The
decision of the Executive Director will be final.
(10)
Guidelines for Students
Enrolling in Programs under the ACM Agreement.
(a) The student must first be accepted for
admission to the desired degree program by following the normal admission
procedure for the institution.
(b)
The student must be accepted as a degree-seeking student in the specified major
with a regular admission status.
(c) Students with a probationary,
provisional, or non-degree-seeking status at the institution are ineligible for
ACM participation.
(d) Institutions
that do not classify undergraduate students as degree-seeking in a major until
a fixed point in their studies (e.g. sophomore or junior year) may elect to
accept ACM students as first-year students or only at the point official
acceptance into a major occurs. This decision is at the discretion of the
institution and may vary among different disciplines. In addition, institutions
may determine additional student eligibility standards such as full-time
status.
Authors: Brenda T. Carter; Paul B. Mohr,
Sr.
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
1975, §§
16-5-1, et
seq.
