[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 30, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4246-4248]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-1407]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, State Agencies for the 
Approval of Nurse Education

AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity, Department of Education (The Advisory Committee).

What Is the Purpose of This Notice?

    The purpose of this notice is to invite written comments on 
accrediting agencies and State approval agencies whose applications to 
the Secretary for initial or renewed recognition, requests for an 
expansion of the scope of recognition, or reports will be reviewed at 
the Advisory Committee meeting to be held on May 30-June 1, 2007, at 
The Madison, 1177 15th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005, telephone: 
202-862-1600.

Where Should I Submit My Comments?

    Please submit your written comments by mail, fax, or e-mail no 
later than March 1, 2007 to Ms. Robin Greathouse, Accreditation and 
State Liaison. You may contact her at the U.S. Department of Education, 
Room 7105, MS 8509, 1990 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20006, 
telephone: (202) 219-7011, fax: (202) 219-7005, or e-mail: 
[email protected]. Individuals who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service at 1-800-877-8339.

[[Page 4247]]

What is the Authority for the Advisory Committee?

    The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity is established under Section 114 of the Higher Education Act 
(HEA), as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1011c. One of the purposes of the Advisory 
Committee is to advise the Secretary of Education on the recognition of 
accrediting agencies and State approval agencies.

Will This Be My Only Opportunity to Submit Written Comments?

    Yes, this notice announces the only opportunity you will have to 
submit written comments. However, a subsequent Federal Register notice 
will announce the meeting and invite individuals and/or groups to 
submit requests to make oral presentations before the Advisory 
Committee on the agencies that the Committee will review. That notice, 
however, does not offer a second opportunity to submit written 
comments.

What Happens to the Comments That I Submit?

    We will review your comments, in response to this notice, as part 
of our evaluation of the agencies' compliance with Section 496 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and the Secretary's Criteria 
for Recognition of Accrediting Agencies and State Approval Agencies. 
The Criteria are regulations found in 34 CFR Part 602 (for accrediting 
agencies) and in 34 CFR Part 603 (for State approval agencies) and are 
found at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.
    We will also include your comments with the staff analyses we 
present to the Advisory Committee at its May 2007 meeting. Therefore, 
in order for us to give full consideration to your comments, it is 
important that we receive them by March 1, 2007. In all instances, your 
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. In addition, your comments 
for any agency whose interim report is scheduled for review must relate 
to the issues raised and the Criteria for Recognition cited in the 
Secretary's letter that requested the interim report.

What Happens to Comments Received After the Deadline?

    We will review any comments received after the deadline. If such 
comments, upon investigation, reveal that the accrediting agency or 
State approval agency is not acting in accordance with the Criteria for 
Recognition, we will take action either before or after the meeting, as 
appropriate.

What Agencies Will the Advisory Committee Review at the Meeting?

    The Secretary of Education recognizes accrediting agencies and 
State approval agencies for public postsecondary vocational education 
and 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 she grants to the agency.
    The following agencies will be reviewed during the May 2007 meeting 
of the Advisory Committee:

Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies

Petition for an Expansion of Scope

    1. Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (Current scope of 
recognition: The accreditation of private, postsecondary institutions 
in the United States offering predominantly allied health education 
programs and the programmatic accreditation of medical assistant, 
medical laboratory technician and surgical technology programs, leading 
to a certificate, diploma, or the Associate of Applied Science and 
Associate of Occupational Science degrees.) (Requested scope of 
recognition: The accreditation of private, postsecondary institutions 
in the United States offering predominantly allied health education 
programs and the programmatic accreditation of medical assistant, 
medical laboratory technician and surgical technology programs, leading 
to a certificate, diploma, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of 
Occupational Science, or Academic Associate degree, including those 
offered via distance education.)

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition That Include an Expansion of the 
Scope of Recognition

    1. American Board of Funeral Service Education, Committee on 
Accreditation (Current scope of recognition: The accreditation of 
institutions and programs within the United States awarding diplomas, 
associate degrees and bachelor's degrees in funeral service or mortuary 
science.) (Requested scope of recognition: The accreditation of 
institutions and programs within the United States awarding diplomas, 
associate degrees and bachelor degrees in funeral service and/or 
mortuary science, including the accreditation of Distance Learning 
courses and programs offered by these programs and institutions.)
    2. American Dietetic Association, Commission on Accreditation for 
Dietetics Education (Current scope of recognition: The accreditation 
within the United States of Didactic and Coordinated Programs in 
Dietetics at both the undergraduate and graduate level, post 
baccalaureate Dietetic Internships, and Dietetic Technician Programs at 
the associate degree level and for its accreditation of such programs 
offered via distance education.) (Requested scope of recognition: The 
accreditation and preaccreditation within the United States of Didactic 
and Coordinated Programs in Dietetics at both the undergraduate and 
graduate level, post baccalaureate Dietetic Internships, and Dietetic 
Technician Programs at the associate degree level and for its 
accreditation of such programs offered via distance education.)
    3. Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational 
Programs (Current scope of recognition: The accreditation of 
institutions and programs of nurse anesthesia within the United States 
at the post-master's certificate, master's, or doctoral degree levels.) 
(Requested scope of recognition: The accreditation of institutions and 
programs of nurse anesthesia within the United States at the post 
master's certificate, master's, or doctoral degree levels, including 
programs offering distance education.)
    4. Council on Education for Public Health (Current scope of 
recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Preaccreditation 
status'') within the United States of graduate schools of public 
health, graduate programs in community health education outside schools 
of public health, and graduate programs in community health/preventive 
medicine outside schools of public health.) (Requested scope of 
recognition: The accreditation within the United States of schools of 
public health and public health programs outside schools of public 
health at the baccalaureate and graduate degree levels, including those 
offered via distance education.)
    5. Council on Occupational Education (Current scope of recognition: 
The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidacy status'') 
throughout the United States of non-degree granting postsecondary 
occupational/vocational institutions and those postsecondary

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occupational/vocational education institutions that have state 
authorization to grant the applied associate degree in specific 
vocational/occupational fields.) (Requested scope of recognition: The 
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidacy Status'') throughout 
the United States of postsecondary occupational education institutions 
offering non-degree and applied associate degree programs in specific 
career and technical education fields, including institutions that 
offer programs via distance education.)

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools, 
Accreditation Commission (Current and requested scope of recognition: 
The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Correspondent'' and 
``Candidate'') within the United States of advanced rabbinical and 
Talmudic schools.)
    2. Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education 
(Current and requested scope of recognition: The accreditation 
throughout the United States of graduate programs in health services 
administration.)
    3. Liaison Committee on Medical Education (Current and requested 
scope of recognition: The accreditation of medical education programs 
within the United States leading to the M.D. degree.)
    4. Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on 
Higher Education (Current and requested scope of recognition: The 
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidacy status'') of 
institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, 
Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. 
Virgin Islands, including distance education programs offered at those 
institutions.)
    5. New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on 
Technical and Career Institutions (Current and requested scope of 
recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate 
status'') of secondary institutions with vocational-technical programs 
at the 13th and 14th grade level, postsecondary institutions, and 
institutions of higher education that provide primarily vocational/
technical education at the certificate, associate, and baccalaureate 
degree levels in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, 
Rhode Island, and Vermont. This recognition extends to the Board of 
Trustees of the Association jointly with the Commission for decisions 
involving preaccreditation, initial accreditation, and adverse 
actions.)
    6. New York State Board of Regents, and the Commissioner of 
Education (Current and requested scope of recognition: The 
accreditation of those degree-granting institutions of higher education 
in New York that designate the agency as their sole or primary 
nationally recognized accrediting agency for purposes of establishing 
eligibility to participate in HEA programs.)
    Interim Reports (An interim report is a follow-up report on an 
accrediting agency's compliance with specific criteria for 
recognition.)
    1. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Commission 
on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education.
    2. American Osteopathic Association, Commission on Osteopathic 
College Accreditation.
    3. American Podiatric Medical Association, Council on Podiatric 
Medical Education.

State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education

Petition for Initial Recognition

    1. Kansas State Board of Nursing

Petition for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Missouri State 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, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama (request to 
award a Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering Degree.)

Where Can I Inspect Petitions and Third-Party Comments Before and After 
the Meeting?

    All petitions and those third-party comments received in advance of 
the meeting will be available for public inspection at the U.S. 
Department of Education, Room 7105, MS 8509, 1990 K Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20006, telephone (202) 219-7011 between the hours of 8 
a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, until May 2, 2007. They will be 
available again after the May 30-June 1, 2007 Advisory Committee 
meeting. An appointment must be made in advance of such inspection.

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.


    Authority: 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2.

James F. Manning,
Delegated the Authority of the Assistant Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E7-1407 Filed 1-29-07; 8:45 am]
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