69B-227.130. Definitions

For purposes of this rule chapter, the following definitions shall apply.

(1) “Accredited institution of higher learning” or “college” means a university, a college, a community college, a technical college, or extension division thereof which is accredited by an accrediting agency.

(2) “Accrediting agency” means the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

(3) “Approved” means the Department has determined the provider course, school official, or instructor has met the criteria set forth in rules 69B-227.140 through 69B-227.170, F.A.C.

(4) “Audit” means Department activity to monitor or evaluate classroom, webcast, interactive online, and correspondence courses, examination sites, administrative offices and provider records.

(5) “Blended course” means a course that consists of a combination of the classroom, self-study correspondence or self-study online study methods.

(6) “Classroom course” means a course that is designed to be presented to a group of students by a live instructor using lecture, video, webcast, virtual or other audio-video presentation.

(7) “Correspondence course” means a self-study course designed to be presented to students through physical documents or other media.

(8) “Course” and “Pre-licensing course” means an educational program or training program that is designed to meet the education requirement for licensure.

(9) “Course authority” means a line of business with a corresponding license type.

(10) “Credit hour” means a minimum of 50 minutes of classroom instruction, or for correspondence courses, 50 minutes of time that is determined by the Department to be necessary to study text material in order to successfully complete the monitored final examination or online internal testing.

(11) “Curriculum” means an educational program, a group of related courses of study, or program of studies offered by an institution, school, college or university, which includes course materials, examinations, tests, outlines, and student handouts for purposes of obtaining a designation as identified in subsection 626.221(2), F.S.

(12) “Day” means a calendar day inclusive of weekends and holidays.

(13) “Education database” means the Department’s online system for activity relating to approval of providers, courses, course offerings, instructors, and the filing of rosters and other information relating to pre-licensing courses required by rule or statute to be filed with the Department. The Education Database is accessed at http://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/agents.

(14) “In-house” means courses or services available only to employees of an entity or for members of an association.

(15) “Incomplete application” means an application which contains errors, omissions, or which requires additional or clarifying information or documentation, or is not submitted in accordance with the submission procedures in rule 69B-227.290, F.A.C., as required by rule 69B-227.140, 69B-227.150, 69B-227.160, 69B-227.170 or 69B-227.180, F.A.C.

(16) “Independent program of study” means a program of study not taught by an institution of higher learning.

(17) “Instructor” means an individual approved by the Department who teaches an approved course or training program. This term includes supervising instructors for bail bond agent courses.

(18) “Insurance representative” means an agent, adjuster, customer representative or service representative.

(19) “Live” means broadcast while actually being performed; not taped, filmed or recorded.

(20) “Online course” means a self-study course delivered via the internet or other computer network.

(21) “Present” means to appear in person, or by live connection through electronic means.

(22) “Provider” means any individual, partnership, organization, association, corporation or other entity approved by the Department to conduct pre-licensing courses or mediation training.

(23) “Provider records” means any documents relating to course approval, course offerings, attendance, course completions or credits, course offering advertisements, and any other records required to be kept according to the Florida Insurance Code, and any rule in this chapter or order of the Department.

(24) “Public,” when used in the context of a course, means a course which is available to any person, in contrast to an “in-house” course.

(25) “School official” means an individual designated by a provider and approved by the Department who is responsible for the acts of the provider.

(26) “Self-study” is a term used to describe correspondence and online courses.

(27) “Virtual classroom course” means a type of classroom course in which instruction is provided in an interactive learning environment created through technology in which students are separated from their teachers by time or space, or both.

(28) “Webcast classroom course” means a type of classroom course delivered through interaction with a live instructor via the internet.

Rulemaking Authority 624.308(1), 626.2817 FS. Law Implemented 624.307(1), 626.2817, 626.732(1)(a), 626.7351, 626.7851, 626.8311, 626.8417, 626.927, 627.7015, 627.7074, 627.745, 648.34, 648.386 FS. History–New 4-11-94, Formerly 4-211.130, 69B-211.130, Amended 9-1-14, 3-31-16.