[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 201 (Monday, October 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55851-55852]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27916]


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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, Department of 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: December 7-9, 1998, 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The Embassy Suites Hotel, 1250 22nd Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20037.
    The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. An 
individual with a disability who will need an accommodation to 
participate in the meeting (e.g., interpreting service, assistive 
listening device, or materials in an alternate format) should notify 
the contact person listed in this notice at least two weeks before the 
scheduled meeting date. Although the Department will attempt to meet a 
request received after that date, the requested accommodations may not 
be available because of insufficient time to arrange them.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bonnie LeBold, Executive Director, National Advisory Committee on 
Institutional Quality and Integrity, U.S. Department of Education, 7th 
& D Streets, S.W., Room 3082, 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 at 1-800+877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, 
Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Advisory Committee on 
Institutional Quality and Integrity is established under Section 114 of 
the Higher Education Act (HEA) as amended by Public Law 105-244 (20 
U.S.C. 1145). The Committee advises the Secretary of Education with 
respect to 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, and the 
eligibility and certification process for institutions of higher 
education under Title IV, HEA. 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 December 7-9, 1998 is open to the public. The 
following agencies will be reviewed during the December 1998 meeting of 
the Advisory Committee.

Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies

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

[[Page 55852]]

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).
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
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 for 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 Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education

Petition for Renewal of Recognition
1. Iowa Board of Nursing
2. Maryland Board of Nursing

Federal Agency 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 may be 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 this 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 
Art and Science)

    A request for comments on agencies that are being reviewed during 
this meeting was published in the Federal Register on June 19, 1998.
    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. LeBold at the address above by 
November 6, 1998. 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 or to send them directly to members of the 
Advisory Committee. Presenters who wish to provide the Advisory 
Committee with brief document (no more than 6 page maximum) 
illustrating the main points of their oral testimony may submit them to 
Ms. LeBold by November 6, 1998 (one original and 25 copies). Documents 
submitted after that date will not be distributed to the Committee. 
Presenters are reminded that this call for third-party oral testimony 
does not constitute a call for additional written comment.
    At the conclusion of the meeting, attendees may, at the discretion 
of the Committee chair, be invited to address the Committee briefly on 
issues pertaining to the functions of the Committee, as identified in 
the section above on Supplementary Information. Attendees interested in 
making such comments should inform Ms. LeBold 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 
3082, ROB 3, Washington, DC, between the hours of 9:00 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. 98-27916 Filed 10-16-98; 8:45 am]
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