NC-SARA

Queens College is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)

National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)

SARA is an agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for the approval of interstate postsecondary distance education courses and programs. Queens College online programs are approved by the New York State Education Department.

SARA Requirements: Professional Licensure Disclosure

While SARA does not address professional licensing board approval for programs leading to state licensing, SARA does require that participating institutions provide proper notification to students as to whether courses and programs will meet the professional licensure requirements in states where students are located. This is in alignment with federal regulations.

Professional Licensure

Queens College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) www.msche.org. The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Board of Regents in New York State (NYS) grants professional licensure/certificates to qualified candidates. Queens College is also an institutional member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). NC-SARA membership does not grant reciprocity or exempt Queens College from state professional licensing/certification requirements.

Queens College academic programs have been designed to meet the accreditation and licensure/certification requirements as well as prepare students to apply for licensure/certification exams in the State of New York. As a result, licensing/certification requirements in New York may not be recognized as sufficient to obtain licensure/certification in any other state.

Programs Leading to Licensure/Certification

At this time (Fall 2024-Spring 2025), Queens College does not offer any online programs that lead to professional licensure. As approved online programs begin admitting online students, programs will be listed in the chart below and professional licensure information will be listed.

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Complaint Resolution

NC-SARA students have an avenue for filing complaints related to consumer protections and/or NC-SARA Policy with the institution. Note: NC-SARA complaints do NOT include complaints related to grades or student conduct violations. Additional information for filing complaints related to consumer protections can be found in Section 4 of the SARA Policy Manual https://nc-sara.org/resources/guides.

Consumer protections complaints, as outlined by the SARA Policy Manual, may be filed internally with the Office of Student Affairs. Students should follow all internal processes, as guided by the Office of Student Affairs, prior to filing a complaint with a state agency. You may find complaint procedures here or may contact the Office of Student Affairs via email VPSA@qc.cuny.edu to request assistance.

Decisions resulting from the Queens College complaint process may be appealed to the CUNY University system office:

City University of New York
Office of the General Counsel
205 East 42nd Street, 11th floor
New York, NY  10017

(646) 664-9200

ogc@cuny.edu
https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/

Students enrolled in distance education must exhaust the Queens College internal complaint process and the CUNY complaint process before moving on in the SARA complaint process.  Students may learn more about student complaints and NC-SARA by visiting this site: https://nc-sara.org/student-complaints.

1. New York State Department of Education (NYSED) – Office of Higher Education www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/filing-complaint-about-college-or-university

The deadline for filing a SARA-related complaint with NYSED is two years. If a person bringing a complaint is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process for handling complaints, the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the SARA Portal Entity in the home state of the institution against which the complaint has been lodged.” (SARA Policy Manual, version 24.1, July 1, 2024, “4.5 Process for Resolving Complaints,” paragraph c, p. 45.)

2. Queens College accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education www.msche.org/complaints/

The United States Department of Education requires institutions of higher education to provide prospective and current out-of-state students with the contact information of the state agency or agencies that handle complaints against postsecondary education institutions offering distance learning within that state. The list of where complaints can be filed by state is listed in this State Complaint Information (PDF). Information listed for each state is subject to change and will be updated each semester.