Report 2013-045 Recommendation 1 Responses

Report 2013-045: Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education: It Has Consistently Failed to Meet Its Responsibility to Protect the Public's Interests (Release Date: March 2014)

Recommendation #1 To: Private Postsecondary Education, Bureau for

To ensure that it does not create unnecessary delays for institutions that desire to operate within the State, the bureau should reduce its backlog of licensing applications by reviewing and streamlining the applications process.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2015

The Bureau has implemented procedures to reduce the time it takes to process all licensing applications and has introduced licensing workshops as a way to reduce the backlog. The Bureau is providing copies of all application processing procedures in addition to the sample procedure provided with the One Year Response and provides the following statistics demonstrating the progress made:

The total number of "applications pending" or "under review" (not completed) as of June 30, 2013 was 1174, as of September 1, 2015 the total of applications pending or under review is 673.

For "Applications for Approval to Operate for Institutions Not Accredited" the number of applications 'Under review" or "pending assignment" on July 1, 2013 was 211, the total number of applications pending or under review on September 1, 2015 is 169.

This recommendation was fully implemented as of December 2014. The workshops were introduced in July 2014 and procedures were fully implemented in December 2014.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

1-Year Agency Response

The bureau has implemented procedures that streamline the application review process. Procedure #2013-0007, Application for Approval to Operate for a Non-Accredited Institution is included as Attachment #1. The process has assisted in reducing the number of backlogged applications from 1174 in July, 2013 to 806 in February, 2015.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

Although the bureau provided us updated procedures for Approval to Operate a Non-Accredited Institution, it has not demonstrated that these procedures significantly reduced the backlog because most of the reduction came from other types of applications. The bureau's backlog of Applications for Approval to Operate a Non-Accredited Institution only decreased from 211 to 203 during the period from July 2013 to February 2015.

6-Month Agency Response

The Bureau has contracted with CPS Consulting to conduct a process improvement/workload analysis in order to determine the most efficient method to review applications. However, the Bureau continues to pilot different processes and assess the success at streamlining the application process. New procedures are under development. This is the responsibility of the Licensing Chief and the Bureau Chief.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

The Bureau has contracted with CPS Consulting to conduct a process improvement/workload analysis in order to determine the most efficient method to review applications. However, the Bureau continues to pilot different processes and assess the success at streamlining the application process. New procedures are under development. Procedures estimated to be complete by August 2014. This is the responsibility of the Licensing Chief and the Bureau Chief.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2013-045

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.