Minnesota Administrative Rules

6400.6660 ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW.

Subpart 1.

Program review and approval.

Upon request of an academic institution, the board shall review courses offered by the institution, and upon finding conformity between the proposed program and the requirements of this chapter, shall approve the institution as offering courses which meet all or some portion of the course requirements for licensure. If the institution offers courses which are approved by the board to meet all course requirements of part 6400.6550, the board shall designate the institution as an approved academic program. If the institution offers courses approved by the board to meet five or more of the courses required in part 6400.6550, the board shall designate the institution as an approved course provider.

Subp. 2.

Requesting course review.

In submitting a program of study offered by an academic institution to meet all or some of the course requirements, the institution shall provide the following information in an application package for review by the board:

A.

indication of whether the institution is requesting designation as an approved program or as an approved course provider;

B.

evidence of the institution's current accreditation by a regional accrediting organization for higher education;

C.

designation of a faculty member to serve as program director to coordinate the institution's program or course offerings with the board. The program director shall have authority to accept courses of equivalent content to those accepted by the board to fulfill academic course requirements specified in part 6400.6550 from students transferring to the institution and the program and from students enrolled in the program who cannot arrange class schedules to permit timely completion of the board-approved courses. The program director must report approval of courses so substituted to the board for each affected student who makes application for licensure to the board;

D.

evidence of the establishment and use of an advisory group of administrators and others in the long-term services and supports industry, including names and experience of group members and frequency of meetings, to review course requirements and practicum activities in order to provide guidance to keep courses current and make student experiences reality based and practical;

E.

a description of the course of study offered or recommended by the institution for those interested in licensure as a nursing home administrator in Minnesota. Nothing in this chapter restricts institutions from designing or implementing curricula, or establishing requirements for courses, majors, or other designations offered by the institution, more comprehensive than required under this chapter for licensure;

F.

a topic-by-topic review of all course requirements outlined in part 6400.6550 showing where and how within the institution's course offerings the outlined topics are covered;

G.

an outline of each course offered by the institution to fulfill one or more of the licensure course requirements listing texts and materials used in the course; and

H.

identification of one or more qualified faculty members to:

(1)

coordinate practicum experiences for students;

(2)

ensure that all practicums are conducted according to the requirements of part 6400.6600;

(3)

provide instruction, or evidence of the use of the NAB preceptor training materials and self-assessment, to any administrator becoming a preceptor for the first time after September 1, 1997, regarding objectives for the practicum and procedures to follow to structure and supervise a successful practicum experience for a student; and

(4)

ensure that each practicum is initiated with a signed learning agreement between the student, faculty advisor, and preceptor outlining the roles and responsibilities of all three parties, the time to be spent by the student in each facility department in relation to the student's prior experience, and the learning outcomes expected for the student.

Subp. 3.

Review and approval process.

Upon receipt of an application package for approval of an academic institution program to meet board course requirements, the board shall acknowledge receipt of the request and identify any missing requirements to the program director. Upon receipt of all required information, the board shall review all materials presented and may conduct an on-site visit or request an appearance by one or more representatives of the institution at a meeting to review all material for conformance to requirements. Board members shall base their decision to approve or reject an academic institution program on whether or not the application materials presented provide assurance that students completing the program at the institution will cover the course topics outlined in part 6400.6550 with sufficient depth to enable the board to infer student attainment of the knowledge, skills, and abilities to begin work as a nursing home administrator. If the application package and discussion with program officials fail to show compliance with the rules or to provide sufficient evidence to satisfy the board members that they can infer beginning level competency among students completing the proposed course offerings, the board shall notify the program director in writing of the deficiencies the institution must remedy. Once all deficiencies are satisfactorily remedied, the board shall grant approval to the program or courses in writing and include reference to the institution's offerings in its correspondence with students interested in learning where courses approved by the board to meet licensure requirements are available. If the deficiencies are not corrected, the board shall deny approval for the program by written notice to the program director.

Subp. 4.

Annual update.

Annually on or before September 1, the program director of an institution with an approved program or courses shall file with the board on forms prescribed by the board for that purpose a report indicating the following:

A.

number of students with known intent to pursue licensure as nursing home administrators in Minnesota enrolled during the past academic year in courses meeting board requirements;

B.

any changes in any of the information presented to satisfy the requirements outlined in this part and part 6400.6550 since the initial application or since the update report of the preceding year; and

C.

to the extent available, a schedule of when throughout the academic year the approved courses will be offered by the institution.

Subp. 5.

Five-year program review.

A.

Every fifth year following the board's initial approval of an academic institution's program or courses, the program director shall provide a complete review of the institution's program by submitting to the board by September 1 of the fifth year, a review application package in the same format and incorporating the same information as required in subpart 2 for a new program approval application. Where no change has occurred since the initial application, the program director may submit a copy of the initially submitted information with an updated date and attestation that the information is current.

B.

The board shall review the five-year program review package submitted by the institution and approve or deny continued board approval for the program as provided in subpart 3. Where the board finds it necessary to deny continued approval to a program or to specific courses, the board shall provide information to the program director about ways in which students currently enrolled in the program may obtain supplementary or alternative courses to complete the requirements for licensure in view of the revocation of approval for courses offered by the institution. The program director shall provide the information to all students enrolled in the previously approved program or courses and shall work with the students to provide a smooth transition to alternative institutions offering approved courses.

C.

In addition to the five-year program review, if the board receives information that the success rates fall below the national average for candidates from the program who, during any January 1 through December 31 period, wrote for the first time the national examination for nursing home administrators developed by NAB, the board must take one of the actions described in subitems (1) to (3).

(1)

If success rates are below the national average for one period, the board shall require the director to identify factors that are potentially affecting the low success rate on the licensure examination. The director shall submit a plan of corrective action by a specified date. The plan of action must be on a board-supplied form and include the signature of the director and another institutional administrative academic representative. If the following year the success rate is above the national average, no action by the board is required.

(2)

If success rates are below the national average for any two consecutive periods, the board shall notify the director of a survey to identify additional factors affecting the low success rate and review progress on the plan for corrective action submitted the previous year. The survey must include the director, faculty, students, and an institutional administrative academic representative. The director shall submit a revised plan of corrective action by a specified date. The plan of corrective action must be on a board-supplied form and include the signature of the director and another institutional administrative academic representative. If the following year the success rate is above the national average, no action is required by the board.

(3)

If success rates are below the national average for any three consecutive periods, the board shall require the director and another institutional administrative academic representative to meet with a committee of board members and board staff for a survey for compliance with all applicable rules and for the implementation of the plan for corrective action submitted the previous year. Upon completion of the survey, the board shall take action in compliance with subpart 3.

Subp. 6.

[Repealed, 41 SR 599]

Statutory Authority:

MS s 16A.1285; 144A.20; 144A.21; 144A.23; 144A.24; 214.06

History:

21 SR 1564; 41 SR 599; 45 SR 753; 45 SR 1073

Published Electronically:

June 4, 2021