<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Georgia;
panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.DefaultFontHxMailStyle
{mso-style-name:"Default Font HxMail Style";
font-family:"Georgia",serif;
color:windowtext;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:2130931840;
mso-list-template-ids:-1;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333;display:none">Hello WCET members – On Friday April 3, the U.S. Department of Education issued "Updated Guidance for interruptions of study related to the...
-posted to the "WCET News" community<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%" id="HLMsgOuter" name="HLMsgOuter">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellpadding="0" style="background:white">
<tbody>
<tr style="height:418.5pt">
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;height:418.5pt">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding:3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#222222">Courtesy of WCET News and Russ Poulin<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">On Friday April 3, the U.S. Department of Education issued "<a href="https://nam05.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fifap.ed.gov%2Felectronic-announcements%2F040320UPDATEDGuidanceInterruptStudyRelCOVID19&data=01%7C01%7Celisa.jaden%40sreb.org%7C6b1797225a78490620e708d7d9c8f611%7Ceb20950b168c497a98452b099844f3ef%7C0&sdata=iLGkw3FaTPJD99CVMhu82dnN1QR3DsMRjSCuAM7ShDY%3D&reserved=0" title="https://ifap.ed.gov/electronic-announcements/040320UPDATEDGuidanceInterruptStudyRelCOVID19">Updated
Guidance for interruptions of study related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)</a>" that updates information
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">originally released on March 5 and updated on March 20</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">. Included is new information regarding compliance expectations, resources,
waivers for institutional approvals, accrediting agency approvals, and other federal financial aid regulations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">Items of note are as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<em><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;font-style:normal">Extended Timeline</span></b></em><em><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">:
</span></b></em><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">The Department extended the flexibilities provided to courses that began face-to-face then transitioned to distance learning due to the need for social-distancing. The Department stated:
"<i>We thus extend those flexibilities to any payment period or term beginning between
<strong><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;font-weight:normal">March 5, 2020, and June 1, 2020</span></strong><b>,</b> inclusive.</i>"<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<em><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;font-style:normal">FERPA</span></b></em><em><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">:</span></b></em><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"> The Department
reminds us to follow FERPA requirements and suggests several resources including
<i>"…toolkits, letters, and Q&As on information security best practices, the use of the school official exception under FERPA, classroom observations, and the use of emails, videos, and other virtual learning tools."<o:p></o:p></i></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<em><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;font-style:normal">Accessibility</span></b></em><em><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;font-style:normal"> (b</span></em><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">e
sure to read Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act in its entirety). The Department states both:<o:p></o:p></span></li><ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1">
<em><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;font-style:normal">The Department Understands</span></u></em><em><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;font-style:normal"> – the
</span></em><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">Department acknowledged the
<i>“unique and ever-changing environment of these exceptional circumstances may affect how education, including needed accommodations for students with disabilities, is provided. Institutions should not decline to provide distance instruction, at the expense
of most students, to address matters pertaining to accommodations for students with disabilities...the Department understands that, during this national emergency, postsecondary institutions may not be able to provide services in the same manner as they typically
would for the rest of the academic year.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1">
<em><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;font-style:normal">The Department Expects Accommodations</span></u></em><em><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;font-style:normal"> –</span></em><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">the
Department expects students with disabilities to be served, stating that "<i>Postsecondary students with disabilities must receive academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and services, and reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures, where
doing so would not impose an undue burden nor cause a fundamental alteration…Whether an institution serves students in a brick-and-mortar or an online environment, the institution must ensure that students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to access
educational programs, consistent with protecting the health and safety of the student and those providing that education to the student.</i>"<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">S-SARA<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">Southern Regional Education Board<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">(404) 879-5517<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><a href="mailto:SARA@sreb.org"><span style="color:#954F72">SARA@sreb.org</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#222222"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#222222"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><img border="0" width="2" height="1" style="width:.0208in;height:.0104in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://oedginnrrl.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/v1/readstatus?MailingID=153248095&Email=elisa.jaden@sreb.org"></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="DefaultFontHxMailStyle"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>