Oregon Legislative Update-Part 4
SB 113A–Exempting Certain Schools from Oregon’s Degree Granting Statutes
SB 113A exempts certain schools and specially-accredited school campuses from Oregon’s degree granting statutes set forth at ORS 348.594 to ORS 348.615. The degree granting statutes regulate post-secondary education in Oregon by, among other things, granting the Oregon Student Assistance Commission Office of Degree Authorization the power to authorize approved schools to offer academic degree programs and non-degree programs leading to certificates or diplomas, to validate claims of degree possession, to terminate substandard and fraudulent degree activities, and to terminate activities of diploma mills. See ORS 348.603. SB 113A exempts schools and specially-accredited school campuses from meeting the requirements of the degree granting statutes as long as the school or specially-accredited campus (1) is a non-profit school under § 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, (2) has conferred degrees in Oregon for at least five consecutive years, and (3) is accredited by a regional accrediting association or its national successor. Schools meeting these non-profit, degree conferral, and accreditation requirements are exempt from the degree granting statutes because they do not generate many complaints and are not the source of many enforcement issues encountered by the Office of Degree Authorization. Rather, most of the complaints and enforcement issues relate to for-profit colleges and colleges lacking regional accreditation.
SB 113A became effective on January 1, 2010. It is codified at 2009 Oregon Laws Advance Sheets, Chapter 172, § 1.
