1. Overview

   It is important to know where students are living for emergency purposes. 

   Additionally, when offering educational opportunities outside of Ohio, whether by distance education or courses such as internships, clinicals, practica, and student teaching, the university must comply with applicable state and federal regulations. Current regulations require an institution to be authorized by a state where the institution is not physically located when delivering education to students who reside within that state. 

   Universities offering programs leading to, or that could be assumed to lead to, professional licensure are required to notify students as to the applicability of the education being delivered to the various state professional licensure education requirements. Compliance with these state, federal, and other regulations relating to state authorization and licensure is critical to allowing the university to fulfill its mission as a public research university. 

2. Applicability 

   This policy applies to all students enrolled at Ohio University, regardless of campus, modality, or level. 

3. Definitions 

   1. Distance Education is education that uses one or more technologies (e.g., internet, communications devices, audio or video conferencing) to deliver instruction to students who are separated from their instructor and to support regular and substantive interaction between students and the instructor, either synchronously or asynchronously (per Reference 2.a. 34 CFR 600.2).

   2. Location is defined as the state/territory where a student is located while receiving instruction. The student's location may differ from the student's state of legal "residence," that is the place where they are registered to vote or hold a driver's license (per Reference 2.a. 34 CFR 668.43).

   3. Out-of-state learning refers to distance education courses or programs and field experiences such as, but not limited to, clinical rotations, internships or student teaching outside of the state of Ohio. Courses such as independent studies, test prep, dissertation or thesis credits, or correspondence courses do not fall under these regulations as there is no regular or substantive interaction with the university or other designee (per Reference 2.b.).

4. Address Types 

   1. Home Address

      Students are required to provide a permanent address on their applications for admission. Students are expected to keep this address current and may update this address via self-service in the student information system. 

   2. Mail Address 

      Students may provide a mailing address on their applications for admission. Students are expected to keep this address current and may update this address via self-service in the student information system. 

   3. Current Living Address 

      All students who are not living in university housing are required to confirm or update the address where they are living each semester prior to participating in class. Students will be prompted to update or confirm this address each semester beginning two weeks in advance of the semester begin date or earliest class start date. Students may update this address anytime via self-service in the student information system. Students are expected to update this address if they move during the semester. Note: For domestic addresses, the state/territory provided for this address will be used as the location for compliance purposes. 

   4. Diploma Address 

      Students are required to provide an address to which their diploma or certificate is mailed when they apply for graduation. This address may be updated only by staff in the office of the university registrar by request of the student after their application for graduation is complete. 

   5. SEVIS Foreign Address 

      All international students in F-1 and J-1 status must report their foreign address within ten days of moving. Students are required to update this address via self-service in the student information system to remain in compliance with immigration regulations. 

   6. SEVIS US Address 

      All international students in F-1 and J-1 status must report their United States address within ten days of moving. Students are required to update this address via self-service in the student information system to remain in compliance with immigration regulations. 

   7. Residence Hall Address 

      All students living in university housing have a residence hall address. This address is updated automatically and may not be be updated by the student. 

5. Notification to Students 

   Per federal regulations, prospective students and students enrolled in professional licensure or certification programs must receive direct notification within fourteen days should their location change to a state where the curriculum delivered by the university does not meet the state's educational requirements for licensure or certification, or if the university is unable to make a determination regarding whether the program's curriculum meets the state's educational requirements for licensure or certification. 

6. Application and use of data/information 

   Address information will be used as indicated by university policy, 12.020 Student Records. This paragraph includes some specific examples of how the current living address may be used. 

   The student's current living address may be used for emergency purposes such as needing to locate a student or identify all students living in a certain vicinity. 

   A portion of the collected student address data (i.e. location) is reported annually to the national council for state authorization reciprocity agreements (NC-SARA) as part of the University's participation agreement. It is important to note that no individually identifiable student data is reported in this annual update. 

   For purposes of professional licensure regulations, student location (i.e., state/territory from the current living address) is used as a mechanism for the University to be compliant with federal regulations and SARA policies relating to professional licensure and certification programs and notifications. 

Reviewers 

Proposed revisions of this policy should be reviewed by: 

1. Vice President for Enrollment Management 

2. Vice President for Communications and Marketing 

3. Executive Director of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships 

4. Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions

5. Academic Deans 

6. Vice Provost for OHIO online 

7. Vice Provost for Student Success 

8. Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics 

9. Director of International Student and Scholar Services 

10. Chief Privacy Officer 

11. Director of University Compliance 

12. Dean of Students 

13. Student Senate 

14. Graduate Student Senate 

 

 

Forms, References, and History

1. References

   The following items are relevant to this policy: 

   1. Federal/Department of Education Regulations  (effective 7/1/2020) see 34 CFR 600.2, 600.9, 668.43

   2. National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement  Version 21.1, May 28, 2021

   3. Higher Learning Commission Assumed Practices A.7.b and A.10 

   4. NC-SARA Guidelines 5.2 Programs Leading to Professional Licensure (updated 6/12/20) and 5.12 Student Mobility

   5. WCET State Authorization Network Compliance management for out-of-state activities 

   6. Policy 12.020 "Student Records" 

2. History

   There are no prior versions of this policy.