Distance Education Policies

Professional Licensure Disclosures
Daoist Traditions offers programs that lead to professional licensure or certification outside the state of North Carolina. Licensure requirements vary by state – and not all states license the practice of acupuncture or Chinese medicine. Most states require the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) examination and/or certification for licensing. Some states have additional requirements such as professional examinations, background checks, years of experience, fingerprinting requirements, etc. 

Completion of a DT program does not guarantee license or certification to practice, nor does the college or any of its representatives guarantee employment, license, or certification to practice upon completion of the programs.

Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts is an approved institution under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement – North Carolina (SARA-NC) so that we can efficiently meet our student’s needs.  This agreement establishes comparable national standards for the interstate offering of post-secondary distance education courses and programs across state lines.

One main objective of the agreement is to make it easier for North Carolina colleges and universities to provide online and distance education options to students in other states. It also provides basic protections for students and requires us to provide current and prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with the college, our accrediting agency, and with state agencies that handle complaints in the student’s state of residence.

Students should check their state’s licensure requirements and contact the appropriate licensing agency to seek information and additional guidance before beginning an academic program. Contact information for the acupuncture licensing agency in each state can be found here. The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) is one resource for state licensing agency information.

State Educational Requirements for Licensure/Certification
The information presented below is current as of June 2021.

Exceptions that may affect licensure eligibility:

AL: Do not have an acupuncture practice act. In states without a licensing act, one cannot obtain a license but may be able to still practice, the practice is restricted to physicians only, or one may practice under the license of another practitioner. Students are advised to conduct more research to assess the ability to practice in these states.
AR: Requires 60 semester credits of prior college education prior to entering, but 30 of those credits must be in a relevant science: biology, chemistry, anatomy, psychology, and physiology.
CA: Requires an acupuncture and Oriental medicine educational curriculum that consists of at least 2,050 hours of didactic and laboratory training and at least 950 hours of supervised clinical instruction and must include specific hours in curricular areas. To obtain a license to practice acupuncture in California, one must qualify for and then pass a written examination administered by the Board. * Daoist Traditions is not an Approved Training Program with the California Acupuncture Board. While the educational curriculum does not meet the requirements for licensure in California, graduates of our MAOM program have become licensed in California after completing additional coursework. 
FL: Requires 60 hours of education in injection therapy. Requires a state jurisprudence exam.
ID: Requires passage of CCAOM CNT Course.
MA: Requires that a lab course of biology, anatomy or physiology be taken prior to entering. The lab may be a distance course.
ME: Require a BS/BA degree prior to entering an acupuncture and Chinese medicine program.
MS: Requires a state jurisprudence exam.
NH: Require a BS/BA degree prior to entering an acupuncture and Chinese medicine program.
NJ: Require a BS/BA degree prior to entering an acupuncture and Chinese medicine program. Requires a state jurisprudence exam.
NM: Requires approval of education from each applicant. Our programs meet their requirements, but extensive documentation must be filed by the applicant. New Mexico also requires passage of a practical and clinical exam administered by the state board. Requires a state jurisprudence exam.
NV: Requires a BS/BA degree prior to entering an acupuncture and Chinese herbology program. Requires 2500 hours of didactic coursework, which is in excess of national standards. Up to 250 hours of the 2500 requirement for licensure may be submitted through CEU credits. Daoist Traditions’ MAOM program consists of 2037 hours of didactic course work, and the DACM consists of 2212 hours of didactic course work. OH: Requires a completion certificate for a course on FDA dispensary practices.
OK: Does not have an acupuncture practice act. In states without a licensing act, one cannot obtain a license but may be able to still practice, the practice is restricted to physicians only, or one may practice under the license of another practitioner. Students are advised to conduct more research to assess the ability to practice in these states.
OR: Requires a state jurisprudence exam.
SD: Does not have an acupuncture practice act. In states without a licensing act, one cannot obtain a license but may be able to still practice, the practice is restricted to physicians only, or one may practice under the license of another practitioner. Students are advised to conduct more research to assess the ability to practice in these states.
TX: Requires a state jurisprudence exam.
VA: Prohibits distance or correspondence courses.
VT: Requires 800 hours of internship clinic. The MAOM has 740 hours. Clinical hours at DT are tracked for all completed clinic shifts, therefore, many graduates complete the program in excess of 800 hours of clinical internship. Graduates of the MAOM/DACM programs may need to complete additional clinical hours to meet the requirement in Vermont.
WA: Requires microbiology.
WV: Requires microbiology.

Policy on Determination of Student Location
In order to comply with federal regulations 34 CFR 668.43, Daoist Traditions has adopted the following policies and procedures to determine the location of students enrolled in all programs and the subsequent requirement to notify students about educational preparation for certification/licensure in the state where the student is located.

Institutions must determine each student’s location (i.e., state) at the time of the student’s initial enrollment and upon formal receipt from the student of information about a change in the student’s location. Institutions must have documented process/procedures on how the location is determined; have a documented change-of-address process for all students; and consistently apply policies and procedures regarding student location to all students, including students enrolled in in-person programs. In addition, institutions must ensure they are authorized to provide distance education in the state/territory where each student is located.

For the purposes of this policy, these definitions apply:

Initial enrollment – the time at which a student commences coursework, as opposed to the time of a student’s initial application to or when a student accepts admission into their program of study.

Current address – where a student currently lives or will live and/or frequently stay during the time they will be taking classes for the upcoming term. A student’s legal state of residence is not a factor in determining physical location for these purposes.

Daoist Traditions will make an official determination regarding the state in which a student is located at the time of application, at initial enrollment, and at the start of each semester.  This policy applies to all students enrolled in all for-credit classes (in-person, hybrid, and online) in all programs. Note: Non-matriculated/guest students are excluded from the student location reporting requirement.

The college will use the most current address provided by the student as the state in which the student is located at the following intervals:
1) During the admissions process. Applicants are informed about state licensure considerations based on information provided on the application.
2) At initial enrollment (the time at which a student commences coursework). New incoming students reaffirm their address at registration and at New Student Orientation.
3) Continuing students (all programs) reaffirm all their contact information and address prior to the start of each subsequent term enrolled.
4) Students can update their location information at any time by completing the update form located in the Canvas learning management system and returning it to the Registrar Assistant.  A student-initiated update is effective-dated with the date the change is recorded in the student information system (GradPro).

Relocation During Enrollment in a Program

Licensing and authorization requirements can vary by state therefore any relocation by prospective and current students can impact their ability to continue the program, meet the eligibility requirements of that state, and/or receive financial aid funding. Any student who 1) changes location during the program, including attending online class sessions from another state, or 2) is considering relocating or obtaining licensure in a different state, should contact the financial aid office to verify authorization and licensure eligibility requirements. Contact: FFAadministrator@daoisttraditions.edu.

Data, Reporting, and Individual/Direct Disclosures 

Information about location data will be made available by the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of each fall and spring term. Information will also be shared with the appropriate offices including Admissions and Student Services.

Per these federal regulations, individual/direct disclosures will be made to students enrolled in programs that are designed to meet educational requirements for a specific licensure or certification for employment. When the College is notified that a prospective or current student’s location has changed to a State where the College does not meet the state educational requirements for licensure/certification OR where the College has not made a determination regarding whether the program’s curriculum meet the State educational requirements for licensure/certification.

Currently enrolled students in programs that are designed to lead to certification/licensure will be notified directly within 14 calendar days when the college becomes aware that the student’s location has changed to another state. New incoming students in these programs will be notified directly prior to their initial enrollment (start of classes) when the admissions office is notified that their location has changed to another state.

Direct disclosures will include: 1) disclosure regarding the state where they are located; 2) the name of the program in which they are enrolled/planning to enroll; 3) contact information for the program dean; 4) contact information for the state licensing agency where they are located. Students must verify via email that they have received the direct disclosure.

Note: The Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM) Professional Track is not designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification required for employment. Students enrolled in the DACM Professional Track must have completed prior master’s level education in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Eligibility for state licensure and national certification is based on prior master’s level education and other criteria outside of the DACM Professional Track program. Students in this program do not receive direct disclosures about licensing requirements in different states if/when they change location during their enrollment.

Daoist Traditions Program Directors:

Master of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (MAOM)
Megan Burns, Academic Dean
382 Montford Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 225-3993
academicdean@daoisttraditions.edu

Doctor of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine (DACM)
Robert Vanderwall DACM/CCHM Dean
382 Montford Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 225-3993
cchmdean@daoisttraditions.edu

Certificate in Chinese Herbal Medicine (CCHM)
Robert Vanderwall DACM/CCHM Dean
382 Montford Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 225-3993
dacmdean@daoisttraditions.edu

Student Grievances
Students are advised to begin the complaint process at the institutional level. Standard inquiries or concerns such as those involving admission requirements, financial aid, educational programs, etc. should be addressed directly to the appropriate office at Daoist Traditions.

In communicating specific concerns, complaints, and grievances, students should follow the established policies and procedures outlined in the Academic Catalog. The general student grievance process can be found here and also in the Academic Catalog on page 41. Click here for the Daoist Traditions Student Formal Complaint form. The Academic Catalog describes grievance and appeal procedures for academic problems or grades (p. 33), academic suspension and other academic policies (p. 35); harassment and nondiscrimination policy complaints, reports of sexual misconduct (p. 39); honor code violations (p. 40), financial aid probation or suspension (p. 36); disability services (p. 30) and access to educational records (p. 38).

Grievance Resolution
A student with a complaint regarding any member of the college community is encouraged to first discuss the concern with the involved party directly. If the student is not comfortable talking about the concern directly with the other person, or if the issue is not resolved through informal discussion, the student should contact the dean of students within 14 days of the incident. Contact Information:

Dr. Connie Ross, Dean of Students
382 Montford Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 225-3993
deanofstudents@daoisttraditions.edu

The college’s policy on student grievances outlines the process for resolving a complaint within the college. Please refer to the policy for next steps and timelines.

If a student has exhausted the college’s Grievance Procedure and does not consider the grievance resolved, the student may submit a complaint to the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine; the North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board; or the University of North Carolina System Office.

Daoist Traditions Accreditation
If a student has exhausted the college’s Grievance Procedure and is not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint process, they may also choose to file a complaint with the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM). Students who file a complaint with the accrediting agency should follow the ACAHM Complaint Procedure and submit their complaint using the online complaint form. The contact information for ACAHM is:

Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine
500 Lake Street, Suite 204
Excelsior, Minnesota 55331
phone (952) 212-2434; fax (952) 657-7068
https://acahm.org/.
https://acahm.org/menu-Directory/directory/

State Agency Complaint Process

University of North Carolina System Office
The State Authorization Unit of the University of North Carolina System Office serves as the official state entity to receive complaints concerning post-secondary institutions that are authorized to operate in North Carolina. If students are unable to resolve a complaint through the institution’s grievance procedures, they can review the UNC Post-Secondary Education Complaints website, including the Student Complaint Policy (PDF), and submit their complaint using the online complaint form at https://studentcomplaints.northcarolina.edu/form.

For more information contact:

North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
223 S. West Street, Suite 1800
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 962-4550

To file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice, please visit the State Attorney General’s webpage and file an online complaint here. North Carolina residents may call (877) 566-7226. Outside of North Carolina, please call (919) 716-6000. En Espanol (919) 716-0058.

If you choose to mail a complaint, please use the following address:

Consumer Protection Division
Attorney General’s Office
Mail Service Center 9001
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001

SARA-NC Complaint Process
Students may also choose to file a complaint through SARA-NC.  SARA-NC is the portal for the state of North Carolina. Students should follow the SARA North Carolina Student Complaint Process and use the SARA-NC Complaint form (PDF). The contact information for SARA-NC is:

SARA North Carolina
North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority
P.O. Box 41349
Raleigh, NC 27629
Telephone: (855) SARA-1-NC (727-2161), toll free
Telephone: (919) 248-4667, local
Website: http://www.saranc.org/
Email: information@saranc.org

Student Complaint Information by state and agency

North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board
The authority to operate a professional training program in Oriental Medicine in the state of North Carolina was granted in 2003 by the North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board and Daoist Traditions opened its doors that same year.  If you are unable to resolve your complaint through the college’s grievance procedures, please consult the NCALB Student Complaint Policy  and the complaint form.  For more information, email pat@smvt.com.