[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 198 (Friday, October 13, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53345-53347]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25359]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity; Meeting

AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity, Education.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the proposed agenda of the National 
Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. Notice of 
this meeting is required under section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act. This document is intended to notify the general public 
of its opportunity to attend this public meeting.

DATES AND TIMES: November 28-30, 1995, 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

ADDRESS: The Latham Hotel, 3000 M Street NW., Washington, D.C. 20007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol F. Sperry, Executive Director, 
National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, 
U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue SW., Room 3905, 
ROB 3, Washington, DC. 20202-7592, telephone: (202) 260-3636. 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Advisory Committee on 
Institutional Quality and Integrity is established under Section 1205 
of the Higher Education Act (HEA) as amended by Public Law 102-325 (20 
U.S.C. 1145). The Committee advises the Secretary of Education with 
respect to the establishment and enforcement of the standards of 
accrediting agencies or associations under subpart 2 of part H of Title 
IV, HEA, the recognition of a 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, and the functions of the Secretary under subpart 1 of part H 
of Title IV, HEA, relating to the State Postsecondary Review Program. 
The Committee also develops and recommends to the Secretary standards 
and criteria for specific categories of vocational training 
institutions and institutions of higher education for which there are 
no recognized accrediting agencies, associations, or State agencies, in 
order to establish eligibility for such institutions on an interim 
basis for participation in federally funded programs.

AGENDA: The meeting on November 28-30, 1995 is open to the public. The 
Advisory Committee will review petitions of accrediting and State 
approval agencies relative to initial or continued recognition by the 
Secretary of Education. It also will review three agencies that were 
previously reviewed by the Advisory Committee and have appealed the 
Advisory Committee's recommendations concerning their recognition 
status, as provided for in 34 CFR 602.13 of the regulations governing 
the recognition of accrediting agencies. In each of the three cases, 
the Secretary decided to remand the case to the Advisory Committee for 
review. In all cases before the Committee, both those petitioning for 
recognition and those appealing the Advisory Committee's 
recommendations, the Committee will hear presentations by any 
representatives who are present from the agency and any third parties 
who have requested to be heard. The following petitions are scheduled 
for review:

Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies and Associations

Petition for Initial Recognition--

    1. National Association of Private, Nontraditional Schools and 
Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Higher Education (requested scope 
of recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation, on a national 
basis, of private, nontraditional colleges and schools)

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition--

    1. Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (requested scope 
of recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of private, 
postsecondary institutions and programs offering allied health 
education, including those programs offering the Associate of Applied 
Science and/or the Associate of Occupational Science degrees)
    2. Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of 
Technology (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a 
national basis, of private, postsecondary degree and non-degree-
granting institutions that are predominantly organized to educate 
students for trade, occupational, or technical careers)
    3. Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools 
(requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national 
basis, of 

[[Page 53346]]
private, postsecondary schools, junior colleges, senior colleges 
[including those that offer master's degrees programs], and 
freestanding graduate institutions that are predominantly organized to 
educate students for business careers; also the preaccreditation of 
those same colleges and graduate institutions)
    4. American College of Nurse-Midwives, Division of Accreditation 
(requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, and 
preaccreditation, on a national basis, of basic certificate and 
graduate nurse-midwifery education programs for Registered Nurses, pre-
certification nurse-midwifery education programs, and basic midwifery 
education programs for the non-nurse)
    5. American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (requested scope of 
recognition: the accreditation, and preaccreditation, on a national 
basis, of professional degree programs in pharmacy leading to the 
degrees of Baccalaureate in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy)
    6. American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation 
(requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national 
basis, of predoctoral dental education programs, programs leading to 
the DDS of DMD degree, dental auxiliary education programs (dental 
assisting, dental hygiene and dental laboratory technology), and 
advanced dental education and specialty programs)
    7. American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., (requested 
scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of 
professional occupational therapy education programs and occupational 
therapy assistant education programs)
    8. Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiology Technology 
[formerly recognized in cooperation with the Committee on Allied Health 
Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association but now 
requesting recognition on its own] (requested scope of recognition: the 
accreditation, on a national basis, of educational programs for 
radiographers and radiation therapy technologists)
    9. Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear 
Medicine Technology [formerly recognized in cooperation with the 
Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American 
Medical Association but now requesting recognition on its own] 
(requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national 
basis, of postsecondary educational programs for the nuclear medicine 
technologist)
    10. National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and 
Sciences (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a 
national basis, of postsecondary schools and departments of cosmetology 
arts and sciences)
    11. National League for Nursing, Inc. (requested scope of 
recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of programs in 
practical nursing and diploma, associated, baccalaureate and higher 
degree nurse education programs)
    12. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on 
Colleges (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation of degree-
granting colleges and universities located in Alabama, Florida, 
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South 
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia)
    13. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting 
Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (requested scope of 
recognition: the accreditation of senior colleges and universities 
located in California, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)

State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Public Postsecondary 
Vocational Education

Petition for Renewal of Recognition--

    1. Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and 
Universities
    Interim Report (An interim report is a follow-up report on an 
accrediting agency's compliance with specific criteria for recognition 
that was requested by the Secretary when the Secretary granted 
recognition to the agency)--
    1. Arkansas State Board of Vocational Education

State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education

Petition for Renewal of Recognition--

1. Colorado Board of Nursing

Appeal of a Recommendation to Withdraw Recognition

    The agencies listed below were recommended for withdrawal of 
recognition by the Advisory Committee at its June 1994 meeting because, 
in the opinion of the Advisory Committee, they did not meet the 
requirement contained in section 496(m) of the Higher Education Act 
(HEA) of 1965, as amended, and 34 CFR 602.1(b) of the Secretary's 
Criteria for Recognition. Under 34 CFR 602.1(b), ``the Secretary grants 
recognition to those accrediting agencies that accredit (1) 
institutions of higher education, provided that accreditation by the 
agency is a required element in enabling those institutions to 
establish eligibility to participate in HEA programs; or (ii) 
institutions of higher education or higher education programs, provided 
that accreditation by the agency is a required element in enabling 
those institutions or programs to establish eligibility to participate 
in other programs administered by the Department or by other Federal 
agencies.''
    1. American Library Association, Committee on Accreditation
    2. Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs

Appeal of a Recommendation to Deny an Agency's Requested Expansion of 
Scope

    For the agency listed below, the Advisory Committee, at its May 
1995 meeting, recommended granting continued recognition for the 
accreditation and pre-accreditation of non-degree granting vocational 
education institutions. It also recommended granting the agency's 
request for an expansion of geographical scope of recognition from 
regional to national. The Advisory Committee, however, recommended not 
granting the agency's requested expansion of scope to include 
prebaccalaureate degree-granting institutions that awarded an applied 
associate's degree. In the Committee's view, the agency did not have 
the requisite experience to accredit such institutions, as required by 
34 CFR 602.22, nor did it have an appropriate emphasis on the 
``academic'' component of a prebaccalaureate degree, as required by 34 
CFR 602.24(b)(1)(iii). The agency appealed the latter recommendation of 
the Advisory Committee.
    1. Council on Occupational Education (formerly the Commission on 
Occupational Education Institutions of the Southern Association of 
Colleges and Schools)
    A request for comments on agencies whose petitions are being 
reviewed for initial or continued recognition during this meeting was 
published in the Federal Register on June 20, 1995. The request for 
comments on the agencies appealing previous recommendations of the 
Advisory Committee was published in the Federal Register on August 28, 
1995.
    This notice invites third-party oral presentations before the 
Advisory Committee. It does not constitute another call for written 
comment. Requests for oral presentation before the Advisory Committee 
should be submitted in writing to Ms. Sperry at the address above by 
November 3, 1995. 

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Requests should include the names of all persons seeking an appearance, 
the organization they represent, and a brief summary of the principal 
points to be made during the oral presentation. Presenters are 
requested not to distribute written materials at the meeting. Any 
written materials presenters may wish to give to the Advisory Committee 
must be submitted to Ms. Sperry by November 3, 1995 (one original and 
25 copies). Only documents presenters submit by that date will be 
considered by the Advisory Committee.
    At the conclusion of the meeting, attendees may, at the discretion 
of the Committee chair, be invited to address the Committee, as 
identified in the section above on Supplementary Information. Attendees 
interested in making such comments should inform Ms. Sperry before or 
during the meeting.
    A record will be made of the proceedings of the meeting and will be 
available for public inspection at the Office of Postsecondary 
Education, U.S. Department of Education, 7th and D Streets, SW, room 
3905, ROB 3, Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 95-25359 Filed 10-12-95; 8:45 am]
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