[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 118 (Friday, June 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33637-33638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16395]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, State Agencies for Approval 
of Public Postsecondary Vocational Education, and State Agencies for 
Approval of Nurse Education

agency: Department of Education.

action: Request for comments on agencies applying to the Secretary for 
initial or renewed recognition.

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dates: Commenters should submit their written comments by August 3, 
1998 to the address below.

for further information contact: Karen W. Kershenstein, Director, 
Accreditation and Eligibility Determination Division, U.S. Department 
of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 3915 ROB-3, 
Washington, DC 20202-5244, telephone: (202) 708-7417. Individuals who 
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8399 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., 
Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

submission of third-party comments: The Secretary of Education 
recognizes, as reliable authorities as to the quality of education 
offered by institutions or programs within their scope, accrediting 
agencies and State approval agencies for public postsecondary 
vocational education and nurse education that meet certain criteria for 
recognition. The purpose of this notice is to invite interested third 
parties to present written comments on the agencies listed in this 
notice that have applied for initial or continued recognition. A 
subsequent Federal Register notice will announce the meeting and invite 
individuals and/or groups to submit requests for oral presentation 
before the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity (the ``Advisory Committee'') on the agencies being reviewed. 
That notice, however, does not constitute another call for written 
comment. This notice is the only call for written comment.
    All comments received in response to this notice will be reviewed 
by Department staff as part of its evaluation of the agencies' 
compliance with the Secretary's Criteria for Recognition. In order for 
Department staff to give full consideration to the comments received 
and to address them in the staff analyses that will be presented to the 
Advisory Committee at its December 1998 meeting, the comments must 
arrive at the address listed above not later than August 3, 1998. 
Comments received after the deadline will be reviewed by Department 
staff, which will take action, as appropriate, either before or after 
the meeting, should the comments suggest that an accrediting agency is 
not acting in accordance with the Secretary's Criteria for Recognition.
    All comments must related to the Secretary's Criteria for the 
Recognition of Accrediting Agencies. Comments pertaining to the 
agencies whose interim reports will be reviewed must be restricted to 
the concerns raised in the Secretary's letter for which the report is 
requested.
    The Advisory Committee advises the Secretary of Education on the 
recognition of accrediting agencies and State approval agencies. The 
Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet December 7-9, 1998 in 
Washington, DC. All written comments in response to this notice that 
are received by the Department by the deadline will be considered by 
both the Advisory Committee and the Secretary. Comments received after 
the deadline, as indicated previously, will be reviewed by Department 
staff, which will take follow-up action, as appropriate, either before 
or after the meeting. Commenters whose comments are received after the 
deadline will be notified by staff of the disposition of those 
comments.
    The following agencies will be reviewed during the December 1998 
meeting of the Advisory Committee:

Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies

Petition for Initial Recognition

    1. Northwestern Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on 
Schools (requested scope of recognition: The accreditation and 
preaccreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') of schools offering 
non-degree, postsecondary education in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, 
Oregon, Utah, and Washington)

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (Current scope of 
recognition: The accreditation of private, postsecondary allied health 
education institutions, private medical assistant programs, public and 
private medical laboratory technician programs, and allied health 
programs leading to the Associate of Applied Science and the Associate 
of Occupational Science degree. Requested expansion of scope: The 
accreditation of institutions offering predominantly allied health 
education programs. ``Predominantly'' is defined by the agency as 
follows: At least 70 percent of the number of active programs offered 
are in the allied health area, and the number of students enrolled in 
those programs exceeds 50 percent of the institution's full-time 
equivalent (FTE) students, or at least 70 percent of the FTE students 
enrolled at the institution are in allied health programs)
    2. National Environmental Health Science and Protection 
Accreditation Council (requested scope of recognition: the 
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Preaccreditation'') of 
baccalaureate programs in environmental health science and protection)
    3. National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (requested 
scope of recognition: The accreditation of programs in practical 
nursing, and diploma, associate, baccalaureate and higher degree nurse 
education programs)
    4. New York State Board of Regents (requested scope of recognition: 
The accreditation (registration) of collegiate degree-granting programs 
or curricula offered by institutions of higher education in the state 
of New York and of credit-bearing certificate and diploma programs 
offered by degree-granting institutions of higher education in the 
state of New York)

[[Page 33638]]

Interim Reports

    (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 initial or renewed recognition 
to the agency)--
    1. Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of 
Technology
    2. American Academy for Liberal Education
    3. American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal 
Education and Admissions to the Bar
    4. American Board of Funeral Service Education, Committee on 
Accreditation
    5. American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation
    6. American Psychological Association, Committee on Accreditation
    7. American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education
    8. Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools, 
Accreditation Commission
    9. The Council on Chiropractic Education, Commission on 
Accreditation
    10. Council on Education or Public Health
    11. Liaison Committee on Medical Education
    12. Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, 
Commission on Accreditation
    13. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting 
Commission for Schools

State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Public Postsecondary 
Vocational Education

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Oklahoma State Board of Vocational and Technical Education
    2. Utah State Board for Vocational Education

State Agency Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education

Petition for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Iowa Board of Nursing
    2. Maryland Board of Nursing

Federal Agencies Seeking Degree-Granting Authority

    In accordance with the Federal policy governing the granting of 
academic degrees by Federal agencies (approved by a letter from the 
Director, Bureau of the Budget, to the Secretary, Health Education, and 
Welfare, dated December 23, 1954), the Secretary is required to 
establish a review committee to advise the Secretary concerning any 
legislation that maybe proposed that would authorize the granting of 
degrees by a Federal agency. The review committee forwards its 
recommendation concerning a Federal agency's proposed degree-granting 
authority to the Secretary, who then forwards the committee's 
recommendation and the Secretary's recommendation to the Office of 
Management and Budget for review and transmittal to the Congress. The 
Secretary uses the Advisory Committee as the review committee required 
for his purpose. Accordingly, the Advisory Committee will review the 
following institution at this meeting:

Proposed Master's Degree-Granting Authority

    1. Air University Montgomery, AL; Air War College (request to award 
the master's degree in Strategic Studies) and Air Command and Staff 
College (request to award the master's degree in Operational Military 
Arts and Science)
    2. Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, Anniston AL (request 
to award the master's of science in Forensic Psychophysiology)

Public Inspection of Petitions and Third-Party Comments

    All petitions and interim reports, and those third-party comments 
received in advance of the meeting, will be available for public 
inspection and copy at the U.S. Department of Education, ROB-3, Room 
3915, 7th and D Streets, SW., Washington, DC 20202-5244, telephone 
(202) 708-7417 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, until November 15, 1998. They will be available again 
after the December 7-9 Advisory Committee meeting. It is preferred that 
an appointment be made in advance of such inspection or copying.

    Dated: June 16, 1998.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 98-16395 Filed 6-18-98; 8:45 am]
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