                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DEFINITIONS (§ 23.1-213)

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#8220;Academic-vocational non-college degree school&#8221; means a
non-college degree school that offers degree and nondegree credit courses.
		&#8220;Agent&#8221; means a person who is employed by any institution of
higher education or non-college degree school, whether such institution or
school is located within or outside the Commonwealth, to act as an agent,
solicitor, procurer, broker, or independent contractor to procure students or
enrollees for any such institution or school by solicitation in any form at any
place in the Commonwealth other than the office or principal location of such
institution or school.
		&#8220;Certificate&#8221; means an award that is given by (i) institutions of
higher education and academic-vocational non-college degree schools for
successful completion of a curriculum consisting of courses that may also be
taken for degree credit or (ii) vocational non-college degree schools for
successful completion of a curriculum. &#8220;Certificate&#8221; includes a
diploma.
		&#8220;College&#8221; means any associate-degree-granting institution of
higher education or institution of higher education at which a bachelor&#8217;s
degree is the most advanced degree that is granted.
		&#8220;Continuing or professional education&#8221; means those classes,
courses, and programs designed specifically for individuals who have completed a
degree in a professional field that (i) are intended to fulfill the continuing
education requirements for licensure or certification in such professional
field, (ii) have been approved by a legislatively or judicially established
board or agency responsible for regulating the practice of the profession, and
(iii) are offered exclusively to an individual practicing in such professional
field.
		&#8220;Degree&#8221; means any earned award at the associate, baccalaureate,
graduate, first professional, or specialist levels that represents satisfactory
completion of the requirements of a program or course of study or instruction
beyond the secondary school level.
		&#8220;Degree credit&#8221; means any earned credits awarded for successful
completion of the requirements of a course of study or instruction beyond the
secondary school level that may be used toward completion of a certificate or
degree.
		&#8220;Distance learning&#8221; or &#8220;distance learning modality&#8221;
means any course offered by a postsecondary school for which the primary mode of
instructional delivery is by television, videocassette or disc, film, radio,
computer, or other telecommunications devices.
		&#8220;Fraudulent academic credential&#8221; means a certificate, academic
transcript, or other document issued by a person or other entity that is not an
institution of higher education that provides evidence of or demonstrates
completion of coursework or academic credit that results in the issuance of a
degree.
		&#8220;Institution of higher education&#8221; or &#8220;institution&#8221;
means any person or other entity, other than a public institution of higher
education or any other entity authorized to issue bonds pursuant to Chapter 11
(§ 23.1-1100 et seq.), that has received approval from the Council to (i) use
the term &#8220;college&#8221; or &#8220;university,&#8221; or words of like
meaning, in its name or in any manner in connection with its academic affairs or
business; (ii) enroll students; and (iii) offer approved courses for degree
credit or programs of study leading to a degree or offer degrees either at a
site or via a distance learning modality.
		&#8220;Multistate compact&#8221; means any agreement involving two or more
states to jointly offer postsecondary educational opportunities pursuant to
policies and procedures established in such agreement and approved by the
Council.
		&#8220;Non-college degree school&#8221; means any person or other entity that
offers courses or programs of study that do not lead to a degree.
&#8220;Non-college degree school&#8221; includes academic-vocational non-college
degree schools and vocational non-college degree schools.
		&#8220;Nondegree credit&#8221; means any earned credits awarded for successful
completion of the requirements of a course of study or instruction beyond the
secondary school level that may be used toward completion of a certificate but
may not be used to earn a degree.
		&#8220;Out-of-state&#8221; means formed, chartered, established, or
incorporated outside of the Commonwealth.
		&#8220;Postsecondary school&#8221; means any institution of higher education
or non-college degree school offering formal instructional programs with a
curriculum designed primarily for students who have completed the requirements
for a high school diploma or its equivalent. &#8220;Postsecondary school&#8221;
includes programs of academic, vocational, and continuing professional
education, except courses or programs of continuing professional education set
forth in subdivision B 4 of § 23.1-226. &#8220;Postsecondary school&#8221; does
not include avocational and adult basic education programs.
		&#8220;Program&#8221; means a curriculum or course of study in a discipline or
interdisciplinary area that leads to a degree or certificate.
		&#8220;Program area&#8221; means a general group of disciplines in which one
or more programs may be offered.
		&#8220;Proprietary&#8221; means privately owned, privately managed, and
corporately structured as a for-profit entity.
		&#8220;Site&#8221; means a location in the Commonwealth where a postsecondary
school (i) offers at least one course on an established schedule and (ii)
enrolls at least two individuals who are not members of the same household,
regardless of the presence or absence of administrative capability at such
location.
		&#8220;Teachout plan&#8221; means a written agreement between or among
postsecondary schools that provides for the equitable treatment of students if
one party to the agreement ceases to offer an educational program before all
students enrolled in that program complete the program.
		&#8220;University&#8221; means any baccalaureate institution of higher
education.
		&#8220;Vocational non-college degree school&#8221; means a non-college degree
school that offers only courses for nondegree credit. &#8220;Vocational
non-college degree school&#8221; does not include instructional programs that
are intended solely for recreation, enjoyment, or personal interest or as a
hobby or courses or instructional programs that prepare individuals to teach
such pursuits.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 23-265; 1980, c. 658; 1996, cc. 691, 832; 1999, cc. 458,
499; 2002, c. 178, § 23-276.1; 2004, cc. 671, 991; 2005, c. 447; 2007, cc. 82,
115; 2008, c. 856; 2010, cc. 67, 263; 2013, c. 229; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 380.