Welcome New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut

Submitted by jshanika on Thu, 12/22/2016 - 10:06

Welcome to New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut as the newest members of SARA!  On December 5th, the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) voted to accept the northern states of New Jersey followed by New York and Connecticut (December 9th) into SARA bringing the total SARA states to an astounding count of 47 plus the District of Columbia.

These newest additions attest to the success of the SARA initiative to provide Higher Education a better way for states to oversee the delivery of postsecondary distance education and we look forward to having these colleges and universities join the more than 1,200 SARA colleges and universities across the country and enjoy the benefits SARA offers institutions and students. 

"All of us in the SARA community are especially pleased to welcome New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to membership in SARA. And we deeply appreciate the efforts of the many people who worked so hard to make this happen -- people from both institutions and various parts of state government. We couldn't be happier."  Marshall A. Hill, Executive Director of NC-SARA.

The New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) will serve as the state "portal" entity for New Jersey institutions.   "We are very pleased to join SARA which will allow New Jersey institutions to offer online programs to students in other states without going through their complicated and expensive licensing processes," said New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks. "SARA will help our colleges and universities attract and serve student populations from around the country. With the various challenges facing higher education today, SARA allows us an important and efficient way to improve opportunities for students." 

New York institutions meeting SARA qualifications can go through the New York State Education Department to apply for SARA membership.  "Distance education has become an integral part of the higher education landscape here in New York and across the nation," said Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa. "New York's participation in SARA provides the potential for increased access to college-level courses for students from diverse geographical, social, cultural, economic and experiential backgrounds--while putting in place important standards and safeguards."

"Joining SARA will provide Connecticut students with significantly more opportunities to further their educational goals, while expanding the number of potential students who can access online education at Connecticut's colleges and universities," said Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. "This is a great step forward for Connecticut as we continue to grow one of the most skilled workforces in the nation for the jobs of the future."  The Connecticut Office of Higher Education will serve as the state "portal" entity for Connecticut institutions.

Welcome to SARA New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut!