States require that SEMO Online be in compliance with their regulations to deliver university-level distance/online education to their residents. Each state handles this process differently.

SEMO Online is in compliance with the 50 states and territories including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As a public institution, Southeast Missouri State University is not currently required to seek approval from California, a non-SARA state.

What is the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)?

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) established uniform standards for physical presence. Missouri became a SARA state in November 2014, and Southeast Missouri State University became a SARA institution in August 2015. Through reciprocity, an institution authorized under SARA in its home state would be considered authorized in all other SARA states. 

Contact information

Please note this information is subject to change. If you have concerns or questions, please contact SEMO Online at (573) 651-2766 or stateauth@semo.edu.  

We want you to have the best educational experience possible in your time as a student with SEMO Online. If you have a complaint or suggestion about an online course or program, please use the contact information below. Your concern will be logged and you will receive a reply within a few business days.

Chelsea Caile McNeely
Director, SEMO Online Programs
stateauth@semo.edu
573-651-2766

Some suggestions or complaints may be related to formal university processes outside of distance education. For example, specific processes have been developed pertaining to grade, financial aid, academic dishonesty, judicial and other processes. Please visit this page for information regarding those areas.

If an issue cannot be resolved internally, you may file a complaint with the Missouri Department of Higher Education. The MDHE process can be found here. The contact person is

Alicia Erickson
Director of Academic Affairs|Postsecondary Policy
Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development
573-751-1764
alicia.erickson@dhewd.mo.gov

If you are located outside of the state of Missouri, please refer to this list of state agencies.

Some specific resources for military students, veterans, and their dependents are included below.

• Military Students using TA benefits and Military Dependents using MyCAA may contact the Military OneSource Postsecondary Education Complaint System
• Montgomery or Post 9/11 GI Bill® recipients may contact the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Federal financial aid (e.g. Pell Grant) recipients may contact the Department of Education: ComplianceComplaints@ed.gov
• Private student loan recipients may contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Southeast Missouri State University has been approved by Missouri to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education.

Southeast Missouri State University offers some areas of study that may lead to licensure of certification in your home state. In general, we recommend you work with your faculty program coordinator to ensure that your area of study matches your interests and needs.  If you are in a face-to-face program, please visit our licensure database.  If you are a new online program, please visit the Online Professional Licensure Database.

While we make every effort to keep the database up-to-date, if you are studying with us from outside the state, we highly recommend you research requirements in your state to ensure licensure compliance.

Here are resources that list licensure organizations by state in a few of our licensure programs:

National Council of State Boards of Nursing

National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification

National Association of State Boards of Accountancy

If you are student living outside of the U.S. wishing to pursue a course or program at Southeast, please review the following:

Computer access -  Our engaging courses can be accessed anytime, anywhere. You will need regular access to a computer that meets our recommended specifications. Additionally, please ensure before starting your classes you make sure you have a very good internet connection and no significant network restrictions to internet content. Finally, be aware of time zone differences and make sure to plan accordingly to ensure your work is completed by required deadlines.

Course materials – Some of our courses still require paper textbooks, study guides, labs, or other materials that will need to be shipped. We can ship these items internationally, but it can take some time. Regarding International textbook requests, international orders will have a higher shipping rate and we mail those via United States Postal Service or UPS depending which one is the best value for you. As soon as you enroll in classes each semester, please make sure to provide us with your approval of the shipping charge amount and contact our Textbook Rental and Southeast Bookstore early in order to have your books shipped.

Authorizations – Please note that Southeast cannot admit students from countries currently under embargo and that some countries may view online education differently. We recommend you get to know your own country’s resources to better understand international compliance and perceptions toward online education.

Privacy - We recognize some countries have varied privacy guidelines and requirements. If you are located in a country with specific privacy requirements, please work proactively with us to ensure your privacy needs are met.

In general, out-of-state placement activity is allowed as long as no more than 10 students are placed in the same out-of-state location. If more than 10 students are placed in the same out-of-state location, formal conversations should be held with the site location and state coordinating board to better understand our compliance. Faculty or department chairs should contact stateauth@semo.edu to discuss these items.

Colorado and New Hampshire have workers' compensation regulations that limit our ability to place students in site activities within their state. Out-of-state placements in these states should be limited. When required, please contact stateauth@semo.edu to determine compliance for your specific program and activity.

As part of our SARA agreement, Southeast is required to report out-of-state placements annually. It is the responsibility of department chairs to monitor these. While the definition of placement is constantly modified, the most recent definition is:

• The placement started between Jan 1 and Dec 31
• The placement is outside of Missouri
• The placement involves the physical presence of the student at the out-of-state location(s)

And one or more of the following is true:

• The placement is an activity required for degree completion
• The placement is offered for credit;
• The placement is offered for a fee.
• The placement is an activity required for professional licensure