ORS 348.605 Restrictions and duties of exempted schools

A school that obtains an exemption under ORS 348.604 or that, on July 14, 2005, met the criteria and followed procedures to obtain a religious exemption adopted by rule by the Oregon Student Access Commission and that offered only degrees leading to occupations in theology or religious occupations may not:

Award more than 25 percent of the credit toward a degree for noninstructional activities, such as challenge examinations and professional or life experiences;

Represent that the school is:

Approved by the State of Oregon; or

Accredited by an organization unless the organization qualifies as a post-secondary accrediting agency as defined in ORS 348.594; or

Pay a faculty member a commission or otherwise base a faculty member’s compensation on the faculty member’s recruitment of students to the school.

A school that obtains an exemption under ORS 348.604 or that, on July 14, 2005, met the criteria and followed procedures to obtain a religious exemption adopted by rule by the Oregon Student Access Commission and that offered only degrees leading to occupations in theology or religious occupations shall:

Preserve official transcripts for all faculty members and students;

Notify the Higher Education Coordinating Commission if a faculty member or administrator at the school has:

Been convicted of a felony; or

Violated a state or federal law related to the operation of a school;

Place in any course catalog that is available to students or to the public a notice that states: “(Name of school) has been granted exempt status by the State of Oregon to offer theological and/or religious occupations degrees.”;

If the school closes, return to students tuition payments for the current term on a prorated basis;

If the school provides placement services to a student, describe the placement services clearly and accurately to the student and avoid giving unrealistic expectations of placement to the student; and

If an administrator claims to possess an academic degree:

Ensure that the administrator possesses the academic degree that the administrator claims to possess; and

Require that the degree is from a school that, at the time of the conferral of the degree, was accredited by a post-secondary accrediting agency as defined in ORS 348.594, held an exemption under this section, or was a school that, on July 14, 2005, met the criteria and followed procedures to obtain a religious exemption adopted by rule by the Oregon Student Access Commission and offered only degrees leading to occupations in theology or religious occupations.