[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12946-12947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5390]


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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, U.S. Department of 
Education.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 8060, Washington, DC 20006.

ACTION: Notice of June 8-10, 2011, open meeting of the National 
Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and 
procedures for making third-party written comments concerning agencies 
scheduled for review.

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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the schedule and agenda of the upcoming 
June 8-10, 2011, open meeting of the NACIQI. It also informs members of 
the public how to submit third-party written comments concerning 
agencies scheduled for review. The notice of this meeting is required 
under Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and 
Section 114(d)(1)(B) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended 
(HEA).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Meeting Date and Place--The NACIQI meeting 
will be held on June 8-10, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 5:30 
p.m., at the Holiday Inn and Suites, Commonwealth Ballroom, 625 First 
Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
    NACIQI's Statutory Authority and Functions: The NACIQI is 
established under Section 114 of the Higher Education Act (HEA), as 
amended, 20 U.S.C. 1011c. 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, 
Part H, Title IV, HEA, as amended.
     The recognition of specific accrediting agencies or 
associations, or a specific State approval agency.
     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.
    Agenda: The agenda for the meeting on June 8, 2011, will include 
presentations to further inform the NACIQI generally regarding the 
reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), which may include 
the areas of accreditation of institutions of higher education, the 
certification and eligibility of such institutions for purposes of the 
Federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the HEA, the 
relationship between the two, and regarding State licensing 
responsibilities with respect to such institutions.
    The June 9-10, 2011 portion of the meeting will be similar to a 
traditional NACIQI meeting where the review of specific accrediting 
agencies, State approval agencies, or Federal degree-granting agencies 
takes place. The agenda for the June 9-10, 2011 portion of the meeting 
will include the review of agencies that have submitted petitions for 
the renewal of recognition.
    The following 12 agencies/institutions are tentatively scheduled 
for review during the June 9-10, 2011 portion of the June 2011 NACIQI 
meeting:

[[Page 12947]]

Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
    2. Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.
    3. Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.
    4. Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.
    5. American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal 
Education and Admission to the Bar.
    6. American Osteopathic Association, Commission on Osteopathic 
College Accreditation.
    7. American Psychological Association, Committee on Accreditation.
    8. Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological 
Schools.
    9. Council on Occupational Education.
    10. Teacher Education Accreditation Council, Accreditation 
Committee.
    11. Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, 
Accreditation Commission.

Federal Agency Seeking Degree-Granting Authority

    1. Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama 
(request to award a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Military Strategy).
    Under 10 U.S.C., Section 9134, in order for the U.S. Air Force's 
Air University to offer a new degree program, the Secretary of the U.S. 
Department of Education must have approved the degree in accordance 
with the Federal Policy Governing the Granting of Academic Degrees by 
Federal Agencies and Institutions (approved by a letter, dated December 
23, 1954, from the Director, Bureau of the Budget, to the Secretary, 
Health, Education, and Welfare). Under the policy, the Secretary is 
required to establish a review committee to advise the Secretary 
concerning any proposal to authorize the granting of degrees by a 
Federal agency. After considering the criteria established by the 
policy, the review committee forwards its report concerning a Federal 
agency's proposed degree-granting authority to the Secretary, who then 
forwards the committee's report and the Secretary's recommendation to 
the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Defense. The 
Secretary uses the NACIQI as the review committee required for this 
purpose.
    Submission of Written Comments Concerning Agencies Scheduled for 
Review: Submit your written comments by e-mail no later than ten days 
after the date of publication, to the Accreditation and State Liaison 
(ASL) Records Manager at [email protected] with the subject line 
``Written Comments re: (agency name).'' Do not send material directly 
to NACIQI members.
    In all instances, your comments about agencies seeking continued 
recognition must relate to whether the agency meets the Criteria for 
Recognition. Third parties having concerns about agencies regarding 
matters outside the scope of the petition should report those concerns 
to Department staff.
    Comments concerning the Air University's degree-granting authority 
request must relate to the criteria used to evaluate the institution. 
Those criteria may be obtained by submitting a request to 
[email protected] with the subject line ``Request for Degree-
Granting Authority Criteria.''
    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 concerning agencies scheduled for 
review and are considered by the Department and the NACIQI in their 
deliberations.
    This notice announces the only opportunity you will have to submit 
written comments on the agencies scheduled for this meeting.
    Requests to Make Oral Comments: There will be another notice that 
will invite the public to submit requests to make oral presentations 
before the NACIQI on the agencies scheduled for review. That notice 
will explain the two methods the public may use to request to make oral 
presentations and provide the instructions for each method. Plus, a 
separate, subsequent Federal Register notice will invite the public to 
submit written comments and/or requests to make oral presentations 
before the NACIQI on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. 
Again, neither subsequent notice will offer a second opportunity to 
submit written comments on the agencies/institutions scheduled for 
review.
    Access to Records of the Meeting: The Department will record the 
meeting and post the official report of the meeting on the NACIQI Web 
site shortly after the meeting. Pursuant to the FACA, the public may 
also inspect the materials at 1990 K Street, NW., Washington, DC, by e-
mailing [email protected] or by calling (202) 219-7067 to 
schedule an appointment.
    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 1-866-
512-1830; or, in the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-0000.
    Reasonable Accommodations: Individuals who will need accommodations 
for a disability in order to attend the June 8-10, 2011 meeting (i.e., 
interpreter services, assistive listening devices, and/or materials in 
alternative format) should contact Department staff by telephone: (202) 
219-7011; or, e-mail: [email protected], no later than May 2, 
2011. We will attempt to meet requests after this date, but we cannot 
guarantee the availability of the requested accommodation. The meeting 
site is accessible.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Lewis, Executive Director, 
NACIQI, U.S. Department of Education, Room 8060, 1990 K Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20006, telephone: (202) 219-7009; 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, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday 
through Friday.

    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.


Eduardo M. Ochoa,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-5390 Filed 3-8-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P