Professional Licensure Disclosure

Download Policy (PDF)

Effective Date: July 1, 2024
Issuing Authority: Provost
Policy Contact: Vice Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, 478-301-2070

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure Mercer University discharges its obligations under federal law and regulations, accreditation requirements, and state reciprocity agreements to make a good faith effort to determine if its Licensure Programs meet the educational requirements for licensure or certification for each state and territory in the United States and to disclose its findings to prospective students and those enrolled in a Licensure Program.

Scope

This policy applies to prospective and current students of academic programs leading to professional licensure or certification.

Exclusions

None

Definitions

As used in this policy, the following terms have the meaning specified below:

Current student: a student who is enrolled in and attending courses in a professional licensure program OR a student enrolled in and attending any courses who has declared a major in a professional licensure program.

Licensure (or Certification): an official process administered by a state-level or territory level authority that is required by law for an individual to practice a regulated profession in that state or territory.

Professional Licensure Disclosure: A disclosure by Mercer University to enrolled and prospective students concerning whether a licensure program meets educational requirements for licensure or certification in the various states and U.S. territories.

Program: an academic program at Mercer University, which, in some cases, prepares a student to practice in a field that requires licensure or certification to practice in a particular state or U.S. territory.

Prospective student: someone who has applied and been admitted to a program leading to professional licensure or certification OR someone who has applied and been admitted for general admission to the University as an undergraduate and has indicated an interest in a program leading to professional licensure.

Policy Statement

All Mercer University programs that lead to professional licensure, whether offered online or on-campus, must distribute disclosure statements to current and prospective students that indicate whether the program meets or does not meet the educational requirements for licensure or certification for each U.S. state and territory. Public disclosures are required when the university meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification. Direct disclosures are required when prospective or current students are located in a U.S. state or territory where the institution does not meet educational requirements for licensure or certification.

  1. Professional Licensure Disclosure
  1. For each program, the professional licensure disclosure must include:
    1. A list of U.S. states and territories for which Mercer University has determined that the program meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification.
    2. A list of U.S. states and territories for which Mercer University has determined that the program does not meet the educational requirements for licensure or certification. If Mercer University has been unable to make a determination, the state or territory will be included in the list as not meeting educational requirements for licensure or certification.
    3. A statement that outlines the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification and notes other requirements, such as passage of national exams, work or clinical experience, background checks, and fees.
    4. A statement that indicates that each state board, department, or agency has the ultimate authority and discretion to determine whether professional licensure or certification will be issued.
  1. Public Disclosures
    Mercer University must make the disclosure publicly available to all students on a webpage dedicated to professional licensure disclosures. Student Affairs must provide links to the public disclosures to students as part of their notifications of student rights and responsibilities every semester.
  1. Mercer University must make direct disclosures via email or through the appropriate student information system (Slate or Anthology Student) when a student is located[1] in a state where Mercer does not meet the educational requirements for licensure.
  1. Programs That Do Not Meet Educational Requirements
    Federal regulations require that Mercer University cannot admit a student from a state or territory for which the institution does not meet the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification unless the student attests to an intention to seek licensure or certification in a state where the university does meet such requirements.

[1] As determined by the Student Location Policy.

Additional Resources

  1. Student Location Policy:
  2. Associated Regulations: 34 CFR 668.43(c)(3)(ii) Institutional Information

History

Previous version “Policy on Disclosure Requirements for Academic Programs Leading to Professional Licensure,” approved by the Provost October 7, 2020.
Revised February 2023
Revised July 1, 2024