Distance Education Policies & Procedures

Boston College offers a variety of distance education opportunities, designed to offer students a flexible, online alternative to traditional on-campus programs and courses.

In support of Boston College’s distance education initiatives, BC is an approved member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, or SARA.

As described by SARA, the network provides a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education. When states join SARA, they agree to follow uniform processes for approving their eligible institutions' participation. These policies help protect students and provide benefits to both states and institutions carrying out distance education in multiple states.

Accreditation

Boston College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) and has been accredited by NECHE since 1935.

NECHE is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a reliable authority on the quality of education and adheres to the standards of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As part of NECHE guidelines, member institutions undergo a peer review process every ten years which involves the preparation of a comprehensive self-study. Boston College’s most recent full review for accreditation occurred in March 2017.

Inquiries regarding Boston College’s accreditation status should be directed to the Office of the Provost and Dean of Faculties, Boston College, 270 Hammond Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (617-552-3260); individuals may also contact the New England Commission of Higher Education, 301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210, Wakefield, MA 01880 (781-425-7785).

Additional accreditation-related information may be found at Boston College’s Accreditation Information site.

Authorization

Boston College has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA), which permits the university to offer distance education programming in 49 SARA member states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Note that courses and programs incorporating a “supervised field experience” (sometimes also referred to as an “out-of-state learning placement”) are also covered by the provisions of SARA if under the oversight of a supervisor, mentor, faculty member, or other qualified professional, located in the host state, who has a direct or indirect reporting responsibility to the institution where the student is enrolled. Examples include practica, student teaching, or internships.

Non-SARA States

California does not participate in SARA; however, the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education does not regulate non-public higher education institutions that are degree granting, non-profit, and accredited, and so Boston College may offer distance education programming to students in California. 

NC Sara Seal

Coverage and Limitations of SARA

As described by NC-SARA, SARA only applies to postsecondary distance education activities conducted across state lines; it does not apply to distance education activity inside the SARA-participating institution’s home state or to on-ground campuses. SARA does not affect the applicability of general purpose state laws; similarly, SARA has no effect on state licensing or certification requirements which often require additional approval from the applicable state board.

Distance Education Programs Leading to Professional Licensure

Boston College is authorized, pursuant to SARA, to enroll students in online programs in the SARA states and territories.

Boston College makes every effort to ensure information about educational requirements for licensure or certification information is current; however, state requirements often change. Separate from educational requirements, state licensure boards may require applicants to complete professional examinations, background checks, years of professional experience, jurisprudence exams, etc. If you are planning to pursue professional licensure or certification in a state other than Massachusetts, it is strongly recommended that you:

  • contact the appropriate licensing entity in that state to seek information and guidance regarding licensure or certification requirements before beginning an academic program
  • check with departmental personnel in your specific program if you have questions about whether an online program meets licensure requirements in a specific state
  • review additional information on state requirements for all programs that lead to licensure which can be accessed at Boston College’s central repository of Notices and Disclosures
     

Again, SARA does not provide reciprocity for state professional licensing requirements. Academic programs and individual graduates must meet standards set by a state’s licensure requirements in order for a graduate to be eligible for a license.

Please see the table for license eligibility by state. Contact information by state is sourced from NC-SARA and is updated twice per year.

Resources for Distance Education Students

Distance education students at Boston College have access to a wide range of student and academic services, for example:

International Students

International students are advised to understand and be apprised of the rules, regulations, and requirements related to distance education in their country of residence, particularly:

  • If the country will recognize an online certificate or degree;
  • Whether the program meets licensure or certification requirements in the country; and
  • If the country charges any additional taxes, withholdings, or fees associated with online distance education programs.
     

International students are encouraged to research the policies pertaining to degree recognition in their home country, or anticipated country of residence, and to contact the program-specific administrator at Boston College for additional information prior to enrolling in a Boston College distance education program.

Veterans

Boston College is approved by the National Association of State Approving Agencies, advocates for quality education and training programs for our nation's veterans.

Complaint Procedures for Students Enrolled in Distance Education Programming

Boston College makes available a variety of means to resolve distance education-related issues. A student enrolled in distance education must first attempt to resolve their complaint with their individual department/program or dean’s office. In those instances for when a complaint cannot be resolved at the individual department/program or dean’s office level, the student may contact the Office of Student Services for additional direction and/or questions.

Boston College Contact

Jessica Greene
Waul House 308, 140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
(617) 552-0163, jessica.greene.2@bc.edu

When a distance education-related complaint cannot be resolved at the department/program or dean’s office level, the following pathways to resolution apply:

For Massachusetts Residents and Online Students Located in Non-SARA Member States or Territories

You may file a consumer complaint with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) by using the consumer complaint form. The AGO consumer complaint form should be used by students who are located in:

  • Massachusetts
  • Non-SARA Member States or Territories (e.g., California, Guam)
     

For Online Students Located in SARA Member States or Territories

You may file a complaint with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) by using the DHE’s SARA complaint form. Please note that for SARA complaints, students are explicitly required to exhaust Boston College’s available complaint procedures before filing a SARA complaint with the DHE.

The DHE complaint form should be used by students who are located in SARA member states and territories. This includes all students who are located in SARA member states and territories for the purposes of completing out-of-state learning placements, such as internships, practica, clinical experiences, etc. in SARA member states and territories outside Massachusetts. The SARA complaint process is as follows:

  1. Students must first attempt to resolve their complaint using internal administrative procedures offered by the SARA institution.
  2. After all administrative remedies have been exhausted with the MA-SARA institution, the student may submit a SARA Complaint to the DHE via the SARA complaint form.
  3. The DHE shall send a copy of the complaint to the institution that is the subject of the complaint;
  4. Within 30 days of the date that the DHE sends a copy of the complaint to the institution, the institution must provide a written response to the student and the DHE.

For more information, please refer to the DHE’s Complaint Policy and Process.

Student Mobility

A requirement of SARA membership, and as directed by current United States Department of Education regulations as presented in the 2019 Higher Education Authorization, institutions must record in which state a student is located while enrolled in a distance education or correspondence course and apply the method to determine location consistently and to all students. (State Authorization 600.9(c)(1)(i)).

SARA and federal regulations consider a student’s location to be the state, territory, or district where the student is located while receiving the instruction; it does not refer to the student’s official state of residence. For prospective students, Boston College's admissions systems reflect the local address as submitted by the student on the student’s application, and this information serves as the source for “student location.” In the event that this information is not populated, home address information serves as the source for “student location.” For enrolled students, Boston College’s student information system (UIS) reflects the local address as recorded at the time of the student’s initial enrollment, and this information serves as the source for “student location.” In the event that this information is not populated, home address information serves as the source for “student location.”

Changing one’s location prior to enrollment (i.e., during the application process) or while enrolled does not adversely impact a student’s academic standing although students should be mindful that, if interested or enrolled in a program leading to professional licensure, a new state of location may have licensure regulations that are not met by Boston College’s curriculum. Students should review disclosures on professional licensure and confer with their academic advisor and/or their academic program’s department personnel in the event of a location change outside of Massachusetts.

In addition to recording location information related to academic programming, location is also recorded when students participate in learning placements outside of the classroom such as clinical experiences and internships. This information is typically tracked by program departments.

Applicants may update their location information through the application system appropriate to their program or may contact their program’s Office of Admission. Enrolled students may update their location information at any time via Boston College’s institutional portal, Agora.

In Agora, under the "Account and Personal Info" section, click Address/Phone/Emergency Contact and follow the on-screen instructions. Support for Agora may be found at: bc.edu/content/bc-web/offices/its/support/account-network-access/agora.html.

Student Verification for Distance Education Courses

Boston College employs a multi-pronged student identity verification system to help ensure that the identity of students who are admitted and enroll in distance education courses or programs are the same students who participate in and complete those courses or programs for academic credit.

At the time of application, all candidates must affirm that the contents of their submission are valid and reflect their own educational, professional, and related credentials, experiences, and accomplishments.

At the time of matriculation, students are assigned a Boston College username, password, and unique eight-digit identification number (EagleID) by Information Technology Services; most electronic services and resources that are restricted to the BC community, including the Agora Portal and Canvas (Boston College’s learning management system), require authentication by entering one’s BC username and password and may also require 2-step verification, thereby serving as an additional means of identity confirmation. Also at the time of matriculation, University students enrolled in on-the-ground and hybrid courses/programs are issued a photo identification card (Eagle-One Card) through the Office of Student Services that serves as the official ID card of Boston College. Proof of identification such as a driver's license or passport must be presented in order to be issued an Eagle-One Card. Students must keep this card available at all times, and cards must be presented to authorized University officials upon request; falsifying, altering, or misusing one’s own or another’s Eagle-One Card in any way is strictly prohibited and illegal.

Faculty-student engagement is a fundamental dimension of a program’s curriculum, and thus, regardless of a course’s mode of delivery, the frequent and meaningful interaction between an instructor and student serves as an effective method of student identity assurance. Additionally, course experiences and assignments that encourage student-to-student interaction are also employed, principally to enhance learning, but also to serve as another means by which to verify the identity of students.

An additional means of assuring student identity are the verification tools available to instructors via Boston College’s learning management system, Canvas. As students access course materials and discussion groups via Canvas, virtual communication technologies that integrate with Canvas, such as discussion boards, facilitate an instructor’s knowledge of a student’s writing style, ability, and tone, thereby helping to spotlight deviations. Identity verification is also supplemented via video conferencing by allowing instructors to confirm a student’s identity via the comparison of the video image with the student’s Eagle-One Card image. If necessary, IP addresses used to access Canvas can be investigated; other analytics, such as page views and log-in dates/times, are also available for review.

Also available to instructors is Respondus:

Respondus LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within Canvas (Boston College’s learning management system) and prevents students from accessing other information and applications on their computer. When an exam is configured with LockDown Browser, it cannot be taken in another browser.

Respondus Monitor is a program that builds on LockDown Browser and records students as they are taking the exam and flags behavior for further review by the instructor and so is well suited for use in online courses.

Boston College’s Center for Teaching Excellence and Center for Digital Innovation in Learning offer support and training for these tools; there is no cost to instructors or students for the use of these resources.

Back To Top