(a) Categories. The Coast Guard may approve courses designed to substitute for or fulfill any or all of the following:
(1) A portion of sea service requirement.
(2) Examinations required by the Coast Guard.
(3) Professional competency requirements.
(4) Regulatory requirements.
(b) Request for approval. Organizations desiring course approval by the Coast Guard must submit a written request and a complete curriculum package to the National Maritime Center, either by mail or electronically. The curriculum package must be provided in a format specified by the Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing and include the following:
(1) A cover letter. The cover letter must contain -
(i) The name of the organization providing the instruction and the course name;
(ii) The locations where the course will be held;
(iii) A general description and overview of the course;
(iv) The category of acceptance being sought, as listed in paragraph (a) of this section; and
(v) Reference to regulatory requirements met by the training.
(2) Part A: Course framework. The course framework must contain -
(i) The following specific course intentions:
(A) Course scope.
(B) Course objective;
(ii) The following conditions relative to students:
(A) Student entry standards.
(B) Class-size limitations.
(C) Student/teacher ratio;
(iii) Documentary evidence that each instructor and/or assessor -
(A) Has either experience, training, or evidence of instruction in effective instructional techniques and/or effective assessment techniques;
(B) Is qualified in the task for which the training is being conducted and have relevant experience; and
(C) Has attained a level of experience and qualification equal or superior to the relevant level of knowledge, skills, and abilities described in the performance objective;
(iv) Site information, which must include -
(A) A description of the facility, measurements of the instructional space, pictures showing multiple views of the space, and a description of the instruction or assessment being performed; and
(B) A request, if applicable, to teach at an alternative site. This requires contact with the local Regional Exam Center and approval by the National Maritime Center; and
(v) A description of the following materials used for development, instruction, and performance measurement:
(A) Equipment.
(B) Teaching aids.
(C) Textbooks and presentations.
(D) Reference bibliography.
(3) Part B: Course outline. The course outline must contain -
(i) Course subjects/topics; and
(ii) Course schedule, including the duration and order of lessons, and an indication as to whether each lesson is -
(A) A classroom lecture;
(B) A practical demonstration;
(C) A simulator exercise;
(D) An examination; or
(E) Another method of instructional reinforcement.
(4) Part C: Detailed teaching syllabus. The detailed teaching syllabus must be written in a learning objective format in which the objectives describe what the student must do to demonstrate that the specific knowledge has been transferred. The detailed teaching syllabus must contain -
(i) The learning objectives as related to the subjects/topics;
(ii) The specific references from which the instruction was developed; and
(iii) Reference to the specific teaching aids, textbooks, or technical materials used for instruction and performance measurement.
(5) Part D-1: Lesson plans. The lesson plans must contain the following specific instructional contents of the individual course lessons:
(i) The main element learning objective.
(ii) Student assignments.
(iii) Training outcomes, which are statements that identify the specific knowledge, skill, or ability that students must gain and display as a result of the training or instructional activity. A training outcome is made up of three elements: expected student performance, condition, and criterion.
(6) Part D-2: Instructor notes. The instructor notes must contain -
(i) The specific instructional methodologies utilized in the particular lesson; and
(ii) The instructional materials, including instructional directions containing the following:
(A) Pre-instructional activities.
(B) Content presentation.
(C) Student participation.
(D) Assessment process.
(E) Other instructional activities, such as homework and reading assignments.
(7) Part E: Evaluations. The evaluations section must contain -
(i) Any methodology that is used to measure a student's knowledge, performance, or level of achievement, including -
(A) Homework;
(B) Quizzes;
(C) Exams;
(D) Laboratory projects;
(E) Competency assessments;
(F) Remediation; and
(G) Testing strategies;
(ii) Assessment instruments, which are any tools used to determine whether the student has achieved the desired level of knowledge, understanding, or proficiency; and
(iii) Any methodology that is used to measure the effectiveness of the training or instructor, including -
(A) Instructor evaluations;
(B) Course evaluations/surveys; and
(C) Other feedback.
(8) Course completion certificate. A sample course completion certificate that allows for the following information to be entered:
(i) Course provider number.
(ii) Course number.
(iii) Terms of approval.
(c) Approval notification. The Coast Guard will notify each applicant for course approval when an approval is granted or denied. If the Coast Guard denies a request for approval, the Coast Guard will inform the applicant of the reasons for the denial and describe the corrections required for granting an approval.
(d) Validity of course approval. Unless surrendered, suspended, or withdrawn, an approval for a course is valid for up to a maximum of 5 years after issuance, unless -
(1) The school ceases operation;
(2) The school gives notice that it will no longer offer the course;
(3) The owner or operator fails to submit any required information; or
(4) Any change occurs in the ownership of the school to which the approval was issued.
(e) Significant changes to the course approval.
(1) Any significant changes to the course approval or the content of the course will be handled as a request for renewal of an approval (as specified in paragraph (f) of this section), or as a request for an original approval (as specified in paragraph (b) of this section), depending on the nature and scope of the change.
(2) The Coast Guard may not accept course completion certificates if the course does not follow the conditions of the course approval.
(f) Renewal of course approval.
(1) If the owner or operator of a training school desires to have a course's approval renewed, the owner or operator must submit a request to the NMC accompanied by the information from paragraph b of this section.
(2) If satisfied that the content and quality of instruction remain satisfactory, the Coast Guard will approve the request.
(3) The renewed approval is valid as detailed in paragraph (d) of this section.
(g) Suspension of approval.
(1) The Coast Guard may suspend the approval, require the holder to surrender the certificate of approval, and may direct the holder to cease claiming the course is Coast Guard-approved, if it determines that a specific course does not comply with the -
(i) Applicable provisions of 46 CFR parts 10, 11, 12, or 13;
(ii) Requirements specified in the course's approval; or
(iii) Course's curriculum package as submitted for approval.
(2) The Coast Guard will notify the approval holder in writing of the intent to suspend course approval and the reasons for suspension. If the approval holder fails to correct the conditions leading to suspension, the course will be suspended. The Coast Guard will notify the approval holder that the specific course fails to meet applicable requirements and explain how the deficiencies can be corrected.
(3) The Coast Guard may grant the approval holder up to 90 days to correct the deficiency.
(4) Course completion certificates will not be accepted for training provided during a period of suspension or expiration.
(h) Withdrawal of approval. The Coast Guard may withdraw approval for any course -
(1) When the approval holder fails to correct the deficiency of a suspended course within 90 days; or
(2) Upon determining that the approval holder has demonstrated a pattern or history of any of the following:
(i) Failing to comply with the applicable regulations or the course approval requirements.
(ii) Deviating from approved course curricula.
(iii) Presenting courses in a manner that does not achieve the learning objectives.
(iv) Falsifying any document required and integral to the conduct of the course, including, but not limited to, attendance records, written test grades, course completion grades, or assessment of practical demonstrations.
(i) Appeals of suspension or withdrawal of approval. Anyone directly affected by a decision to suspend or withdraw an approval may appeal the decision to the Commandant as provided in § 1.03-40 of this chapter.
[USCG-2004-17914, 78 FR 77903, Dec. 24, 2013, as amended by USCG-2018-0874, 84 FR 30881, June 28, 2019]