Section 73.1. Definitions

The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meaning, unless the context clearly indicate otherwise:

Act—The Private Licensed Schools Act (24 P. S. § § 6501—6518).

Acting director—The individual responsible for assuming the director’s duties in the temporary absence of the director.

Board—The State Board of Private Licensed Schools.

Branch facility—A school facility whether or not located at the administrative headquarters of a school. A school with one school facility has one branch facility.

Certificate—A document awarded by a school subject to this chapter upon the successful completion of a particular course.

Chief executive officer—The person ultimately responsible for all phases of the school operation, plant and program, including the method of instruction, the employment of instructors, the organization of classes, the equipment, the advertising used, the maintenance of proper administrative records and other matters related to the administration of the school. The chief executive officer and the director may be the same person.

Clock hour—A minimum of 50 minutes of instruction.

Closure—The situation which results when a school ceases to operate.

Complaint—A matter that has been reported to the review and recommendation panel under § 73.184 (relating to reporting of potential violations), has been investigated by Board staff and has been found to constitute a violation of the act or this chapter.

Correspondence—A systematic course or program of nonresident instruction.

Course—A unit of learning covering specific subject matter.

Credit hour—A unit of curricular material which normally can be taught in a minimum of 14 clock hours of instruction. For laboratory instruction, a credit hour represents a minimum of 28 clock hours. For shop instruction and practicum experiences, including externship/internship experiences, a credit hour represents a minimum of 42 clock hours.

Degree—A specialized associate degree awarded by a school with the approval of the Secretary under Chapter 42 (relating to program approval).

Department—The Department of Education of the Commonwealth.

Diploma—A document awarded by the school subject to this chapter upon the successful completion of an approved program.

Director—The person designated by a school directly responsible for the day-to-day operation of a school. The director and the chief executive officer may be the same person.

Educational supervisor—An individual who reports to the director and supervises all or part of the instructional program in his curricular area.

Hearing panel—Three Board members, one of whom shall be a public member as defined by section 3(a) of the act (24 P. S. § 6503(a)), who preside over hearings requested by schools to contest enforcement actions and who submit proposed findings and recommendations to the full Board for its adjudication.

Internship or externship—A structured, supervised learning experience which takes place outside of the school and involves the practical application of competencies acquired during school-based instruction.

Licensee—A person or entity holding a license issued by the Board in accordance with the act.

Mail—Ordinary first class mail, United States Postal Service, ICC approved mail carrier or personal delivery, unless otherwise specified.

Nonresident—A student who is receiving instruction by correspondence, telecommunication or similar means including seminar.

Notice—A written statement issued by the Board to a licensee or registrant or by a licensee or registrant to the Board.

Prepaid tuition—A sum of money received by a school from a student, or on behalf of a student, for which the period of the student’s enrollment has not yet begun.

Private licensed school sales office—A permanent or temporary facility away from school premises to which an admissions representative reports or from which an admissions representative solicits or procures student enrollments.

Program—An approved series of organized courses.

Quarter credit hour—A unit of curricular material which normally can be taught in a minimum of 10 clock hours of lecture. For laboratory and shop instruction, a quarter credit hour represents a minimum of 20 clock hours. For externship/internship experiences, a quarter credit hour represents a minimum of 30 clock hours.

Registered school sales office—A permanent or temporary facility in this Commonwealth of a registered school to which an admissions representative reports or from which an admissions representative solicits or procures student enrollments.

Remote laboratory—A detached facility for teaching practical application of theoretical instruction, such as a firing range for a security or private investigator program or kitchen facilities for a food service program.

Reportable event—A circumstance or occurrence as defined in § 73.201 (relating to reportable events) which takes place at a school or which pertains to the school, within the knowledge of the school’s owner, director or chief executive officer.

Resident—A student who is regularly scheduled to be present at a school facility for the purposes of instruction, including attendance at approved externships, internships or field experience.

Review and recommendation panel—Three Board members, one of whom shall be a public member as defined by section 3(a) of the act, whose role is to perform or direct Board staff in the performance of the prosecutorial functions involved in an enforcement action against a school.

School—A private licensed school or registered school as defined in the act. An entity requiring a license or registration under the act. The term includes an instructional facility requiring a license when the facility has a different ownership of more than 25% or has a different director or is a separate and distinct legal entity from a licensee.

Secretary—The Secretary of the Department.

Seminar—Training or instruction that is one of the following:

(i) Noncumulative short-term training of no more than 15 hours duration, not scheduled in a regular calendar format and offered as an introduction or orientation to an occupation.

(ii) Instruction for an occupation offered at a total contract price, of less than $300, which includes all costs charged to students, including tuition, fees, books and supplies, provided that the total contract price for all courses to any enrolled student is less than $300 in any one calendar year.

Student—A person enrolled in a school for the purpose of instruction.

Teachout—The continuation of instruction to complete the program or course, whenever the school’s license has been suspended or revoked or a school has advised the Board that it intends to discontinue operations.

Telecommunications—Nonresident, systematic instruction by electronic or electromagnetic means.

Unearned tuition—The portion of tuition charges billed to students of a school but not yet earned by the school. These amounts represent future educational services to be rendered to presently enrolled students.

The provisions of this § 73.1 amended September 6, 1996, effective September 7, 1996, 26 Pa.B. 4334; amended April 12, 2002, effective April 13, 2002, 32 Pa.B. 1844; amended April 1, 2005, effective April 2, 2005, 35 Pa.B. 1982. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (287682) to (287685).