Determination of Student Location

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Policy Number:
UW-1032
Responsible Office:
Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

This policy complies with federal regulations that require institutions to determine student location by state for distance education reporting purposes and professional licensure program disclosures.

Definitions:
Academic Program
An area of study that leads to a degree/major, certificate, minor or named option, also referred to as a plan or subplan.
Distance Education

(1) Education that uses one or more of the technologies listed in paragraphs (2)(i) through (iv) of this definition to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor or instructors and to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor or instructors, either synchronously or asynchronously.

(2) The technologies that may be used to offer distance education include -

  • (i) The internet;
  • (ii) One-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communications devices;
  • (iii) Audio conference; or
  • (iv) Other media used in a course in conjunction with any of the technologies listed in paragraphs (2)(i) through (iii) of this definition.

(3) For purposes of this definition, an instructor is an individual responsible for delivering course content and who meets the qualifications for instruction established by an institution's accrediting agency.

(4) For purposes of this definition, substantive interaction is engaging students in teaching, learning, and assessment, consistent with the content under discussion, and also includes at least two of the following -

  • (i) Providing direct instruction;
  • (ii) Assessing or providing feedback on a student's coursework;
  • (iii) Providing information or responding to questions about the content of a course or competency;
  • (iv) Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency; or
  • (v) Other instructional activities approved by the institution's or program's accrediting agency.

(5) An institution ensures regular interaction between a student and an instructor or instructors by, prior to the student's completion of a course or competency -

  • (i) Providing the opportunity for substantive interactions with the student on a predictable and scheduled basis commensurate with the length of time and the amount of content in the course or competency; and
  • (ii) Monitoring the student's academic engagement and success and ensuring that an instructor is responsible for promptly and proactively engaging in substantive interaction with the student when needed on the basis of such monitoring, or upon request by the student.
Local Address
A physical location and place of residence where a student lives when enrolled in classes for a term.
Location
At the time of initial enrollment in a professional or occupational licensure program:
  • A student who enrolls in a program that holds instruction primarily at a physical location on campus (on-campus instruction) is considered to be located in the state of Wisconsin. This determination is based on the student being located (in part or exclusively) in Wisconsin while receiving instruction and enrolling in a program designed, primarily, to lead to licensure in the state of Wisconsin.
  • A student who enrolls in a program that offers instruction in a hybrid learning format is considered to be located in the state of Wisconsin.
  • A student who enrolls in a program offered exclusively through distance education is considered to be located at their current address listed on their official application and/or acceptance into the program.
Professional Licensure or Certification Program
An educational program that is designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification that is required for employment in an occupation or is advertised as meeting such requirements. Any reference to professional licensure includes professional or occupational licensure programs as well as certification programs.
State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement
An agreement between two or more States that authorizes an institution located and legally authorized in a State covered by the agreement to provide postsecondary education through distance education or correspondence courses to students located in other States covered by the agreement and cannot prohibit any member State of the agreement from enforcing its own general-purpose State laws and regulations outside of the State authorization of distance education.
Scope:

All prospective and certificate/degree-seeking students at UW-Madison.

Policy:
  1. Determination of Student Location
    1. UW–Madison will determine the location of a student for the purpose of providing accurate professional licensure disclosures and reporting by using the Local Address field in the university’s Student Information System (SIS).
    2. All certificate/degree-seeking students are required to provide and review their local addresses as part of the Pre-Enrollment Checklist process.
      1. New incoming undergraduates (freshmen and transfer students) must complete the Pre-Enrollment Checklist prior to the Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) program.
      2. New incoming graduate and professional students must complete the Pre-Enrollment Checklist before they are eligible to enroll in their first semester of studies.
      3. Continuing students (all programs, all levels) must complete the Pre-Enrollment Checklist before they are eligible to register for a fall or spring term.
      4. Students can update their Local Address at any time via the Student Center.
          A student’s Local Address updated during the Pre-Enrollment Checklist process is effective dated at the start of the term. A student-initiated update via the Student Center is effective dated with the date of the change.
  2. Data, Reporting, and Professional Licensure
    1. Data on distance education and student location will be aggregated and submitted to the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and the National Center for Education Statistics (Integrated Postsecondary Data System) each year.
    2. Data on the number of students engaged in certain experiential learning placements will be disaggregated by state and two-digit Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes and submitted to NC-SARA each year. 
    3. Per federal regulations, UW-Madison is required to determine whether professional licensure/certification programs meet the licensure/certification requirements in states where students are located and provide general or individual disclosures accordingly. General disclosures are published in the Guide.
Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:
External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Policy Manager:
Vice Provost for Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research
Contact:
Associate Director, Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research -- Michelle Young, MEYOUNG@WISC.EDU, (608) 262-2143
Effective Date:
05-21-2020
Revised Dates:

05-24-2023, 09-05-2024

Retrieved:
07-08-2025 10:49:48