(a) “Course of instruction” means the offering of instruction to individuals for a charge, fee or contribution of any kind, to a person or persons for the purpose of training or preparing such person(s) for a field of endeavor in a business, trade, technical or industrial occupation.

(b) “Program of study” means a series of individual courses in an area of specialization for which a diploma, degree, certificate or other written evidence of proficiency or achievement is offered.

(c) “Agent” means any person employed by an institution licensed by the commission, regardless of job title, job description, full-time or part-time employment status, who either directly or indirectly influences the decision of any prospective student to enroll for a fee in a course of instruction.

(d) “Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, association or any other type of organization.

(e) “Board” means the Mississippi Community College Board established in Section 37-4-3 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972.

(f) “Commission” means the Commission on Proprietary School and College Registration established under this chapter.

(g) “Correspondence education” means a formal educational process under which the institution provides instructional materials, by mail or electronic transmission, including examinations on the materials, to students who are separated from the instructor. Interaction between the instructor and the student is limited, is not regular and substantive, and is primarily initiated by the student. Correspondence courses are typically self-paced. Correspondence education shall not be construed to mean or refer to “distance education” as defined in paragraph (h) of this section.

(h) “Distance education” means a formal educational process in which the majority of the instruction in a course occurs when students and instructors are not in the same place. Instruction may be synchronous or asynchronous. Distance education uses the technologies set forth in this paragraph to deliver instructions to students and to support regular, substantive interaction between students and instructors. A distance education course instructor may use any of the following technologies: the Internet; one-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed-circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite or wireless communications devices; audio conferencing; or video cassettes, DVDs and CD-ROMs if used as part of the distance learning course or program.

(i) “General education course” means a unit of learning that is nontechnical in nature and is a fundamental part of a program. The content is drawn from oral and written communications, social studies, mathematics, natural sciences and the humanities.

(j) “Nontechnical course” means a unit of learning that is nontechnical in nature and includes general education courses, basic/college life skills and other related courses.

(k) “Occupational degree” means a credential awarded by a school upon successful completion of an associate degree program and designated as “applied” or “occupational” in the credential title. This program shall contain a minimum of sixty percent (60%) technical course credits/clock hours.

(l) “Institution” means a proprietary school, career college, school person or other organization that offers programs that require registration in accordance with Section 75-60-5.

(m) “Technical course” means a unit of learning that yields skills, knowledge and understanding essential to the specific occupation for which the program is designed.