(a) The Board shall approve only those educational programs for registered dental hygienists in alternative practice (RDHAPs) which continuously maintain a high quality standard of instruction. The requirements contained in this article are designated to that end and govern the approval of educational programs for RDHAPs. Continuation of approval will be contingent upon compliance with these requirements.

(b) An educational program for RDHAPs is one which has as its primary purpose providing college level education including, but not limited to, dental hygiene technique and theory, which shall include gerontology, medical emergencies, business administration and practice management as they pertain to RDHAPs. The program shall be given by a college or institution of higher education that is accredited by a national agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

(c) Any program for RDHAPs shall apply for and receive approval prior to operation. The Board may approve, provisionally approve, or deny approval of any such program. Provisional approval shall not be granted for a period which exceeds the length of the program and in no event for more than 30 days. When the Board provisionally approves a program, it shall state the reasons therefor. Provisional approval shall be limited to those programs which substantially comply with all existing standards for full approval. A program given provisional approval shall immediately notify each student of such status. The Board's maximum processing time for an application for an RDHAP educational program shall not exceed ten days to notify the applicant in writing that the application is complete and accepted for consideration by the Board or, that the application is deficient and what specific information is required. The Board's maximum time to approve, provisionally approve, or deny approval of the RDHAP educational program shall not exceed 90 days upon the filing of a completed application.

The Board may, in lieu of conducting its own investigation, accept the findings of any national agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and adopt those findings as its own. If the Board denies approval of a program, the specific reasons therefor shall be provided by the Board in writing within 90 days after denial.