SARA Institutional Closures Working Group
NC-SARA is pleased to share with the SARA community information about the newly formed SARA Institutional Closures Working Group.
This working group was created to draft proposed SARA-wide institutional closure requirements that will allow for a strategic, structured, and transparent process for managing closures of SARA-participating institutions, prioritizing the interests of students while ensuring regulatory compliance and maintaining institutional integrity. By implementing these requirements, SARA can provide a consistent and reliable framework that supports and complements the efforts of all stakeholders, including other members of the triad, during the challenging process of institutional closure.
The working group includes three subgroups that will focus on the following aspects of institutional closure:
- Teach-Out Plans/Teach-Out Agreements - Institutions should create detailed teach-out plans to ensure students can complete their programs.
- Academic Records (Records Retention) - The closure process should include a secure and accessible method for students to obtain their academic records indefinitely.
- Financial Arrangements - The closure process should include procedures for refunding students’ tuition and fees.
The Institutional Closures Working Group began meeting in late June and expects to submit one or more proposals related to institutional closure processes during the 2025 SARA Policy Modification Process cycle. The group will also develop strategies for disseminating effective SPE and state regulator closure practices to the SPE community.
Working Group Membership:
- Daniel Abankwa, Assistant Director of Academic Affairs, Illinois Board of Higher Education
- Sara Appel, Regional Compact SARA Director, MHEC
- Emily Bjornberg, Senior Consultant, Connecticut Office of Higher Education
- John Cavanaugh, Former President & CEO, Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area & NC-SARA Board Member
- Tiamekia Cezaire, Paralegal and Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
- Alexandra Chaillou, Associate Director, Institution Review, Maryland Higher Education Commission
- Elisa Jaden, Regional SARA Director, SREB
- Patrick Lane, Vice President, Policy Analysis and Research, WICHE
- Sam Loftin, Director of Consumer Protection, Washington Student Achievement Council, & NC-SARA Board Member
- Molly Hall-Martin, Regional Compact SARA Director, WICHE
- Stephanie McCann, Associate Vice Chancellor, Program Approval and Development, Ohio Department of Higher Education
- Ross Miller, Director of State Authorization and Reciprocity, Indiana Commission for Higher Education/Indiana Board for Proprietary Education
- Alex Nally, Deputy General Counsel, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
- Charlotte Ochs, Regional Compact SARA Director, NEBHE
- Jenny Parks, Vice President, Policy and Research, MHEC
- Shelley Plutto, Project Manager, W-SARA
- Elise Scanlon, Principal, Elise Scanlon Law Group & NC-SARA Board Member
- Kirk Shook, Executive Director, Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
- Jeannie Pauline Yockey-Fine, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, NC-SARA
Other individuals, committees, or groups may, based on their areas of expertise, be invited to specific meetings or asked to review draft documents
If you have questions about the Institutional Closures Working Group, please reach out to us at info@nc-sara.org