State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (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.

On September 13, 2016, the New York State Board of Regents adopted new regulations requiring out-of-state institutions of higher education to seek and obtain New York State Education Department (NYSED) approval to offer distance education to New York State residents, and to permit the Department to enter into the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA). New York State joined SARA on December 9, 2016.

New York State institutions participating in SARA are authorized to conduct distance education activity in other SARA member states under the terms and provisions of SARA. Please refer to the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) website for more information about SARA eligibility, coverage, and procedures. A list of states and institutions participating in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement is available on the NC-SARA Directory webpage.

Students who successfully complete the Certificate in  Addiction Studies or the  Addiction Studies AS  degree program also meet the education requirements for the Certification in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling (CASAC Trainee) from the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). 

New York State is a member of the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC)  organization. The IC&RC promotes uniform professional standards with the commitment to providing high quality services for clients. The IC&RC promotes public protection by offering internationally recognized credentials through testing and credentialing of addiction professionals. Students residing outside of New York should visit the IC&RC Board Directory to see if their state is a member of IC&RC and has a reciprocity agreement for the New York State CASAC credential

NC-SARA Student Complaint Process
Students in online programs encountering a problem or grievance about the course should always attempt to resolve the problem with the faculty member and/or the Department Chair. Information about Grade Appeals and Tuition Adjustments can be found:
https://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/registrar/directionsappeaform.html

In the event that a student complaint cannot be resolved through the Department, the student may contact the Office of the Dean of Student Success Programs:

Kingsborough Community College
Dean of Student Success Programs
2001 Oriental Boulevard
Brooklyn, New York 11235
718-368- 5664

If the situation remains unresolved after completing the complaint process established by the College, students may contact the City University of New York (CUNY):

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

If the complaint remains unresolved after completing the complaint process as outlined above, students may submit a grievance to the New York State Department of Education:

Office of College and University Evaluation
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-1551
IHEauthorize@nysed.gov

Additional information about filing a complaint against a college  or university in New York can be found here: http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/filing-complaint-about-college-or-university

For more information regarding NC-SARA and complaint resolution, please visit https://nc-sara.org/student-complaints