[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 78 (Friday, April 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21280-21282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-9516]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and
Integrity (NACIQI) Meeting
AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and
Integrity, Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
What is the purpose of this notice?
The purpose of this notice is two-fold. It is to:
(1) Announce the public meeting of the NACIQI to be held Tuesday-
Thursday, September 14-16, 2010, in Washington, D.C., at the U.S.
Department of Education, which is predicated on the appointment of
members prior to that date; and
(2) Invite written comments concerning the recognition of any
agency published in this notice.
This notice presents the proposed meeting agenda and informs the
public of its opportunity to attend this meeting. The notice of this
meeting is required under section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, section 114(d)(1)(B) of the Higher Education Opportunity
Act, and section 114(d)(1)(B) and (D) of the Higher Education Act, as
amended.
In all instances, written comments about agencies seeking initial
recognition, continued recognition, and/or an expansion of an agency's
scope of recognition must relate to the Criteria for Recognition found
at section 496 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and 34
CFR parts 602 and 603. In addition, comments for any agency whose
interim report/compliance report is proposed for review must relate to
the issues raised within the letter that requested the report.
When and where will the meeting take place?
Depending on when the appointment of members is made to the NACIQI,
the public meeting will be held on Tuesday-Thursday, September 14-16,
2010, from 8:30 a.m. until approximately 5:00 p.m., at the U.S.
Department of Education, Eighth Floor Conference Center, 1990 K Street,
NW., Washington, DC.
What assistance will be provided to individuals with disabilities?
The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If
you will need an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the meeting
(e.g., interpreting service, assistive listening device, or materials
in an alternate format), contact Melissa Lewis at [email protected]
at least four weeks before the scheduled meeting date. Although we will
attempt to meet a request received after that date, we may not be able
to make available the requested auxiliary aid or service because of
insufficient time to arrange it.
What is the role of the NACIQI?
The NACIQI is established under Section 114 of the Higher Education
Act (HEA), as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1011c. Congress created NACIQI to
assess the process of accreditation and the institutional eligibility
and certification of institutions of higher education under Title IV of
the HEA.
[[Page 21281]]
What are the functions of the NACIQI?
The NACIQI advises the Secretary of Education about:
The establishment and enforcement of the Criteria for
Recognition of accrediting agencies or associations under Subpart 2 of
Part H of Title IV, HEA.
The recognition of specific accrediting agencies or
associations.
The preparation and publication of the list of nationally
recognized accrediting agencies and associations.
The eligibility and certification process for institutions
of higher education under Title IV, HEA.
The relationship between: (1) Accreditation of
institutions of higher education and the certification and eligibility
of such institutions, and (2) State licensing responsibilities with
respect to such institutions.
Any other advisory functions relating to accreditation and
institutional eligibility that the Secretary may prescribe.
What items are on the proposed agenda for discussion at the meeting?
Proposed agenda topics include the review of nationally recognized
accrediting agencies and State approval agencies for nurse education
that have submitted petitions for renewal of recognition and/or an
expansion of an agency's scope of recognition, or a compliance report,
formerly an interim report.
What agencies does the department propose NACIQI will review at the
meeting?
The Secretary of Education recognizes accrediting agencies and
State approval agencies for nurse education if the Secretary determines
that they meet the Criteria for Recognition. Recognition means that the
Secretary considers the agency to be a reliable authority as to the
quality of education offered by institutions or programs it accredits
that are encompassed within the scope of recognition he grants to the
agency. As part of the recognition process, agencies are sometimes
asked to submit a compliance report. A compliance report, formerly an
interim report, means a written report that the Department requires an
agency to file to demonstrate that the agency has addressed
deficiencies specified in a decision letter from the senior Department
official or the Secretary, per 34 CFR 602.3. There may also be other
reports due that were previously requested by the NACIQI prior to
August 14, 2008, when the Higher Education Opportunity Act was enacted.
The following agencies are proposed to be reviewed during the
September 14-16, 2010 NACIQI meeting:
Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies
Compliance Reports
1. Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools,
Accreditation Commission.
2. Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.
3. Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational
Program.
4. Council on Education for Public Health.
5. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (progress
report).
6. The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
of Colleges and Schools.
Petition for Initial Recognition
1.AdvancED.
Petitions for Renewal of Recognition
1. American Academy for Liberal Education.
2. American Board of Funeral Service Education.
3. American Speech Language Hearing Association, Council on
Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.
4. Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation.
5. Council on Naturopathic Medical Education.
6. Midwifery Education Accreditation Council.
7. Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education,
Commission on Accreditation.
8. National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and
Sciences.
9. New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on
Technical and Career Institutions.
10. Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting
Commission for Schools.
Request for an Expansion of Scope and Name Change
1. North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School
Improvement, Board of Trustees.
State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education
Compliance Report
1. Missouri State Board of Nursing.
Petition for Renewal of Recognition 1.
1. Montana State Board of Nursing.
When, where, and how should I submit my written comments?
Submit your written comments by e-mail no later than May 23, 2010,
to the Accreditation and State Liaison (ASL) Records Manager at
[email protected] with the subject line listed ``Written
Comments re: (agency name).'' In all instances, your comments about
agencies seeking continued recognition and/or an expansion of an
agency's scope of recognition must relate to the Criteria for
Recognition.
Do Not Send Material Directly to NACIQI Members
Only materials submitted by the deadline to the e-mail address
listed in this notice, and in accordance with these instructions,
become part of the official record and are considered by the Department
and the NACIQI in their deliberations.
Will this be my only opportunity to submit written comments regarding
agencies listed in this notice that are proposed to be reviewed by
NACIQI at the meeting?
Yes. This notice announces the only opportunity you will have to
submit written comments on those agencies for this meeting. However, a
subsequent Federal Register notice will publish another meeting notice
and invite individuals and groups to submit requests to make oral
presentations before the NACIQI on the agencies proposed for review.
That notice, however, does not offer a second opportunity to submit
written comments. If other agencies are added to the agenda when it is
finalized, an additional notice will be published soliciting written
comment on those agencies.
What happens to the written comments that I submit?
Any third-party written comments regarding an agency received by
May 23, 2010, in accordance with this Federal Register notice, will
become part of the official record. Those comments will be considered
by the Department in its review of the agency's submission and by the
NACIQI when it the agency's submission at the September 2010 meeting.
Where can I inspect petitions and third-party comments before the
meeting and the meeting records?
The redacted versions of all materials submitted by agencies and
any third-party comments received in advance of the meeting will be
available for public inspection and copying, concurrently with their
availability to the NACIQI, which we anticipate will be in mid-to-late
July. The materials will be available at the U.S. Department of
Education,
[[Page 21282]]
Office of Postsecondary Education, Room 7126, 1990 K Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20006, telephone 202 219-7011, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays; and at the
National Library of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Plaza Level
(Level B), Washington, DC 20202, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays. It is preferred that an
appointment be made in advance of an inspection.
What happens to comments received after the deadline?
Department staff will review any comments received after the
deadline. If such comments, upon investigation, reveal that the agency
is not acting in accordance with the Criteria for Recognition, we will
take action either before or after the meeting, as appropriate.
Documents responsive to this notice but received after May 23, 2010,
will not be distributed to the NACIQI for its consideration.
Individuals making oral presentations may not distribute written
materials at the meeting.
How do I request to make an oral presentation?
On or before August 14, 2010, the Department of Education will
publish another notice of the meeting in the Federal Register and will
invite interested parties, including those who submitted third-party
written comments concerning agencies' compliance with the criteria for
Recognition, to make oral presentations before the NACIQI.
How do I request to present comments regarding general issues rather
than specific accrediting agencies?
Also, in the same Federal Register notice inviting oral comments
concerning the agencies' compliance with the Criteria for Recognition,
the public will be invited to make general comments pertaining to the
functions of the NACIQI.
How may I obtain access to the records of the meeting?
We will record the meeting, and the meeting transcript will be
available for public inspection on the NACIQI Web site: http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/naciqi.html, for up until approximately a
year after the meeting.
How may I obtain electronic access to this document?
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF), on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister. To use PDF, you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have
questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office
(GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or, in the Washington, DC, area at
(202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html.
Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated
authority to Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy
Analysis for the Office of Postsecondary Education, to perform the
functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education.
Authority: 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2.
Dated: April 20, 2010.
Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2010-9516 Filed 4-22-10; 8:45 am]
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