Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission: An Overview

The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) is a crucial entity in Oregon, dedicated to fostering pathways to opportunity and success for all Oregonians through an accessible, affordable, and coordinated network for educational achievement beyond high school. As the State of Oregon’s public commission, the HECC works diligently to improve equitable access to and success in higher education and workforce training for Oregonians statewide. The Commission coordinates funding and policy, and convenes partners across the public and private higher education and workforce landscape.

HECC's Broad Scope of Higher Education

The HECC approaches higher education broadly, encompassing a wide range of postsecondary education and workforce training options beyond high school. This includes everything from apprenticeships to career certificates, and from two- and four-year degrees to doctorates. Thousands of Oregonians each year earn degrees, certificates, and training to build successful futures through the state's seven public universities, seventeen public community colleges, workforce programs, private and independent colleges and universities, and private career and trade schools.

Structure and Function of the HECC

The HECC consists of a fourteen-member, volunteer state board that sets the vision for and makes public decisions guiding the agency. These decisions are informed by advisory boards and public bodies that guide HECC's programs and strategies. The HECC agency is comprised of eight distinct offices of approximately 185 employees, led by Executive Director Ben Cannon.

Key Responsibilities

The eight offices of the HECC administer numerous programs serving Oregonians and carry out statutory responsibilities for funding and policy coordination statewide. Some of the key responsibilities include:

Policy and Funding Coordination: The HECC coordinates funding and policy across public and private postsecondary education and training, advising the Governor on policy and funding to meet state postsecondary goals.
Convening Partners: The Commission convenes partners across the higher education and workforce landscape to improve affordability, equity, student success, and economic and community impact.
Strategic Focus: HECC provides strategic focus in areas such as investing resources to maximize student success, increasing postsecondary affordability, improving pathways to and within postsecondary institutions, and connecting job-seekers with employment.
Budget Recommendations and Funding Allocations: The HECC develops biennial budget recommendations for public postsecondary education in Oregon and makes funding allocations to Oregon’s public community colleges and public universities.
Program Approval and Oversight: The HECC approves new academic programs for the public institutions, allocates Oregon Opportunity Grants (state need-based student aid), authorizes degrees that are proposed by private and out-of-state (distance) providers, and licenses private career and trade schools.
Oversight of Programs: The Commission also oversees programs for veterans and implements other legislative directives.

Offices within the HECC

The HECC operates through several key offices, each with specific responsibilities:

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Office of the Executive Director, Policy, and Communications: This office manages the central executive role of the agency, as well as communications, legislative affairs, human resources, policy initiatives, and other roles for the integrated agency.
Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC): Formerly the Oregon Student Access Commission, OSAC administers a variety of state, federal, and privately funded student financial aid programs, including the Oregon Opportunity Grant and the Oregon Promise.
Office of Community Colleges and Workforce Development (CCWD): Formerly the Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development, CCWD provides coordination and resources related to Oregon’s 17 community colleges, 18 adult basic skills providers, and nine local workforce areas. It also provides statewide administration of workforce and education programs under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the General Educational Development (GED), and other workforce and education programs.
Office of University Coordination: This office provides academic and fiscal coordination related to Oregon’s seven public universities, including coordination of the academic program approval process, statewide initiatives and legislative directives to enhance postsecondary pathways and student success, biennial budget recommendations for the Public University Support Fund, Public University State Programs, and capital investments, fiscal reporting and analysis, and the allocation of state funding.
Office of Private Postsecondary Education: This office oversees the quality, integrity, and diversity of private postsecondary programs in Oregon for the benefit of students and consumers.

HECC's Authority Over Institutions

The HECC has specific authority over various types of institutions operating in Oregon. All degree-granting private post-secondary institutions offering academic programs in Oregon, or to Oregon students from outside the state, must be approved by the HECC Office of Degree Authorization. Any business that offers a non-degree training program, including online education, that prepares an individual to enter a licensed occupation in the State of Oregon must first apply for a private career school license with the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC).

Degree Authorization

The Office of Degree Authorization approves academic programs offered by the institutions and their corresponding placement programs in the state. The approval is for the degree program with or without placement, or with placement alone, not the institution as a whole. Accreditation or documentation of pre-accreditation candidacy is a requirement for authorization of degree-granting institutions but not for licensure of non-degree granting institutions.

Physical Presence Policy

Oregon's HECC uses a physical presence standard. A virtual clinical / internship triggers the requirement for authorization with the agency.

Tuition Protection and Refund Policies

Oregon has a tuition protection fund for private career schools, funded by fees from schools. Degree-granting institutions must modify their tuition refund policy to comply with OAR 583-030-0035 (18) (c) for all Oregon residents enrolled in degree/certificate programs.

Reporting Requirements

Degree-granting institutions must report changes in key administrative staff, new faculty hires, program changes, and ownership changes; all must be submitted for approval and/or reported as they occur during an authorization period. For non-degree granting institutions, any changes in ownership, instructional staff, legal documents, school catalog, or curriculum must be reported. Completions, withdrawals, and placement statistics for each program must be reported and meet a minimum guideline. Financial statements must also be sent, and assurances that certain specific statutes are being followed. Any changes in ownership, the enrollment agreement, student catalog, or curriculum should be reported and approved before implementation.

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Enforcement of Compliance

The HECC has measures in place to address institutional non-compliance. For degree-granting institutions, if the school is known to have the legal authority to grant degrees elsewhere but has not obtained ODA approval to offer academic programs to Oregon students, then the ODA administrator would send a warning letter stating that they have received information that the school is offering courses, field experiences, or degree programs without approval. The letter would include the relevant citations and information about obtaining approval. In cases where there is no evidence of the school’s legal authority to grant degrees, the ODA would investigate further and follow up with enforcement action if necessary. For non-degree granting institutions, a “cease and desist” letter is sent that requires the institution to immediately cease operation and contact the HECC office for licensing. Failure to do so may result in civil and criminal penalties. An institution is entitled to a hearing of the matter before an administrative hearings officer. The determination of the hearings officer is final but may be appealed to circuit court.

Handling Student Complaints

The HECC has a process for handling complaints about non-SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements) out-of-state postsecondary institutions or programs. Key contacts for types of institutions encourage the student to exhaust all institutional resources before filing a complaint. Upon submission, a written complaint is distributed to the key staff person for investigation. The process for handling complaints has been refined towards a centralized process.

Important Information for Institutions

For degree-granting institutions located outside of Oregon, the HECC expects all schools to seek ODA approval and to do so BEFORE sending students to a placement site or offering degree programs or academic credit to Oregon students. Any online program with or without a placement must be approved. Potential operators of non-degree granting institutions seeking licensure are requested to read the HECC rules and statutes, review the application, and come prepared with their questions in order to make the best use of time spent in a preliminary screening interview.

Historical Context and Evolution

The HECC was established in 2011. Two pieces of legislation in 2013, SB 270 and HB 3120, provided an extensive overhaul and reconfiguration of educational committees, commissions, boards, and agencies in Oregon.

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