Section 9.1 - Approved Credential Evaluation Service Status(a) To receive and to maintain Board approval, a credentials evaluation service shall: submit an application on Form 11A-54 (11/17), which is incorporated by reference and comply with the following: (1) Be a member of and certify to its membership in either the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers, the National Association of Foreign Student Affairs, or the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services;(2) Furnish the Board with a copy of its current written procedure for identifying fraudulent transcripts, and certify on the application to compliance with that procedure;(3) Certify on the application that it maintains a complete set of reference materials, that the references are adequate to prepare complete, accurate evaluations and are the most current editions available;(4) Furnish the Board with resumes or curriculum vitae for each evaluator and translator, which shall provide biographical information, including a list of languages spoken and years in service. The service shall have at least one senior staff member with not less than five years of foreign student college admission experience or closely related credentials evaluation experience at all academic levels;(5) Furnish the Board with its organization chart showing the ratio of senior staff members to junior staff members is, at most, one to five, and shall not exceed that ratio;(6) Furnish the Board with written evidence that a minimum of 50% of the evaluations performed by junior staff members are reviewed by senior staff members, and shall maintain at least that minimum; for the purposes of this paragraph, "written evidence" means it provides as a part of the application, for the previous five years, the total number of evaluations performed, the total number of evaluations performed by junior staff members, and the total number of evaluations performed by junior staff members that were reviewed by senior staff members.(7) Furnish the Board with a list of at least three accredited colleges and universities or other licensing agencies using its services;(8) Furnish the Board with three letters of reference, written within the last year, from public or private agencies;(9) Furnish the Board with a copy of its appeal procedure for applicants, and certify to compliance with that procedure on the application;(10) For the initial application, furnish the Board with a sample evaluation that complies with the requirements of subdivision (b);(11) For the initial application, certifies it has, or agrees to establish within thirty days of Board approval, a minimum six-year document retention policy;(12) As a condition of renewal, a credentials evaluation service shall certify continued compliance with a minimum six-year document retention policy.(b) Each evaluation provided by the Board approved service shall: (1) Affirm in a written statement that the evaluation is based only upon authenticated, original transcripts and degrees received directly from the educational institution or its governing body;(2) Include certified copies of all original transcripts;(3) Be furnished directly to the Board, in English; on tamper-proof paper,(4) Identify the primary evaluator and any secondary evaluator;(5) Include the name or names of the applicant as shown on the transcripts as well as the name under which the applicant requested the evaluation;(6) Include a report of each degree held by the applicant along with the equivalent degree offered in the United States, the date the degree was granted and the institution granting the degree;(7) Provide the total number of semester units completed and evaluated;(8) Include a listing of the course titles with the semester unit equivalent for each course listed in chronological order without categorization, extra emphasis, or distinguishing formatting for any of the courses listed;.(9) Include the following disclaimer: "This evaluation service is not authorized by the California Board of Accountancy to include in this evaluation any opinion as to whether certain courses will be accepted by the Board as meeting the Board's requirements or whether the applicant meets the Board's requirements for taking the Uniform CPA Examination or for licensure."(c) The credentials evaluation service shall report to the Board annually whether it has undergone any organizational changes, including any change in the ratio required in subdivision (a)(5), or any change in ownership. Approval issued under this section shall expire five years after the date of issuance unless renewed by the Board prior to its expiration by meeting the requirements in subsection (a). For purposes of this subdivision, "change in ownership" means any change in legal ownership of the approved credentials evaluation service or its business entity form, including the acquisition by a person of more than 50% of an interest in or stock of the business entity's parent company, change of the business entity by incorporation or conversion of the business to another business entity form or a change in the corporate status that requires a new corporate number as issued by the Secretary of State.(d) In order to remain as a Board approved credentials evaluations service, the credentials evaluation service shall respond to any inquiries by the Board, submit any documents requested by the Board, provide any information requested by the Board and cooperate in any investigation conducted by the Board regarding the service's compliance with the Board's requirements.(e) Approval may be withdrawn at any time if the credentials evaluation service fails to comply with any of the requirements of this section or furnishes false, inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information to the Board.(f) A credentials evaluation service that received Board approval prior to the date this subdivision becomes effective shall meet the requirements of this section at its next renewal.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 16, § 9.1
1. New section filed 5-10-2000; operative 6-9-2000 (Register 2000, No. 19).
2. Amendment of NOTE filed 6-12-2002; operative 6-12-2002 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4 (Register 2002, No. 24).
3. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (c) and NOTE filed 2-27-2012 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2012, No. 9).
4. Amendment filed 2-9-2017; operative 4-1-2017 (Register 2017, No. 6).
5. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (a) filed 3-1-2018 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2018, No. 9). Note: Authority cited: Sections 5010 and 5094, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Section 5094, Business and Professions Code.
1. New section filed 5-10-2000; operative 6-9-2000 (Register 2000, No. 19).
2. Amendment of Note filed 6-12-2002; operative 6-12-2002 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4 (Register 2002, No. 24).
3. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (c) and Note filed 2-27-2012 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2012, No. 9).
4. Amendment filed 2-9-2017; operative 4/1/2017 (Register 2017, No. 6).
5. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (a) filed 3-1-2018 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2018, No. 9).