[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 80 (Tuesday, April 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23317-23319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10032]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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: Opportunities for the public to make written comments and/or 
oral comments concerning the NACIQI's report on the reauthorization of 
the Higher Education Act (HEA).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice invites the public to submit written comments and 
requests to make oral comments concerning the NACIQI's report on the 
reauthorization of the HEA. This notice 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: 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.
    Changes to the Agenda: Since the publication of the March 9, 2011 
Federal Register notice (74 FR 12947), the Department and the NACIQI 
Chairman changed the order of the scheduled activities. On June 8 and 
the morning of June 9, the NACIQI will now hold a traditional NACIQI 
meeting involving the review of specific accrediting agencies that 
submitted petitions for the renewal of recognition and a Federal 
institution that submitted an application for degree-granting 
authority. Refer to the Federal Register notices published on March 9, 
2011 (76 FR 12947) and on April 26, 2011 concerning the meeting notice 
and instructions for submitting written comments and requests to make 
oral comments concerning the accrediting agencies and the Federal 
institution scheduled for review.

[[Page 23318]]

    At approximately 4:00 p.m. on June 8, 2011, the NACIQI will hold an 
administrative session to conduct the members' annual required ethics 
training. The training session will not be open to the public. During 
the afternoon of June 9 and on June 10, 2011, the portion of the 
meeting concerning the reauthorization of the HEA will occur.
    Agenda for the Reauthorization Portion of the Meeting: The 
reauthorization portion of the meeting will consist of presentations 
and public comments, which the NACIQI will then deliberate on, 
concerning the following three broad reauthorization-related issues 
that are described below.
    Issue One: REGULATORY BURDEN and DATA NEEDS: This issue focuses on 
the concerns about the regulatory burdens and costs of accreditation to 
institutions, students, and taxpayers. Also included are questions 
about the nature, quality, and quantity of data gathering and reporting 
required on the part of institutions and accrediting agencies.
    Issue Two: ``THE TRIAD'': This issue focuses on clarification of 
the roles, responsibilities, and capacities of federal, state, and 
accreditor entities in issues of accreditation and institutional aid 
eligibility. Included are questions about the link between 
institutional aid eligibility and accreditation.
    Issue Three: ACCREDITOR SCOPE, ALIGNMENT, AND ACCOUNTABILITY: This 
issue focuses on accreditor scope, alignment, and accountability. 
Included are questions about the sectors and scope of varying 
accrediting agencies, the alignment of standards across accreditors, 
and accountability for accreditation decisions.
    Submission of Written Comments Concerning the Reauthorization of 
the HEA: Submit your written comments by e-mail no later than May 26, 
2011, to [email protected] with the subject line ``Written 
Comments re: Issue Number (list Issue Number(s) from above issue 
description regarding the reauthorization of the HEA.) Do not send 
material directly to NACIQI members.
    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 the reauthorization of 
the HEA and are considered by the Department and the NACIQI in their 
deliberations. Do not send material directly to the NACIQI members.
    Instructions for Requests To Make Oral Comments Concerning the 
Reauthorization of the HEA: There are two methods the public may use to 
make an oral comment concerning the reauthorization of the HEA.
    Method One: Submit a request by e-mail in advance of the meeting to 
make an oral comment. All individuals or groups submitting an advance 
request in accordance with this notice will be afforded an opportunity 
to speak for up to a maximum of three minutes each. Each request must 
be received no later than May 26, 2011, and must be sent to 
[email protected] with the subject line ''Oral Comment 
Request re: Issue Number (list Issue Number(s) from above issue 
description regarding the reauthorization of the HEA.'' Your request 
(no more than one page maximum) must include:
    1. The name, title, affiliation, mailing address, e-mail address, 
telephone and facsimile numbers, and Web site (if any) of the person/
group requesting to speak; and
    2. A brief summary of the principal points to be made during the 
oral presentation.
    Please do not send material directly to the NACIQI members.
    Method Two: Depending on the day the issue will be reviewed, 
register on June 9 or 10, 2011, for an opportunity to comment on one or 
more of the issues during the NACIQI's deliberations on the 
reauthorization of the HEA. The requester should provide his or her 
name, title, affiliation, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone 
and facsimile numbers, and Web site (if any). Up to 30 minutes total 
will be allotted for oral commenters who register on June 9 or 10, 2011 
(in addition to those commenters who signed up in advance). Individuals 
or groups that register to make oral comments June 9 or 10, 2011, will 
be selected on a first-come, first-served basis for each issue 
reviewed. If selected, each commenter may speak from three to five 
minutes, depending on the number of individuals or groups who 
registered for an oral presentation opportunity for each issue. The 
Committee may engage the commenter in discussion afterwards. If a 
person or group requests to make comments in advance, they cannot also 
sign up to make comments on June 9-10, 2011.
    Members of the public will be eligible to make oral comments 
concerning the reauthorization of the HEA only in accordance with these 
instructions. The oral comments made will become part of the official 
record and will be considered by the Department and the NACIQI in their 
deliberations.
    Written and Oral Comments Concerning the Agencies/Institutions 
Scheduled for Review on June 8-9, 2011: Two separate Federal Register 
notices were previously published on March 9, 2011 and April 26, 2011. 
Those notices contained the meeting notice and instructions for 
providing written or oral comments concerning the agencies and the 
Federal institution scheduled for review.
    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; and
--Any other advisory functions relating to accreditation and 
institutional eligibility that the Secretary may prescribe.

    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.
    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 
15, 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:

[[Page 23319]]

[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 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, 
Monday through Friday.
    Electronic Access to This Document: 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 Digital 
System at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this 
document, as well as all other documents of this Department published 
in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format 
(PDF). To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 
available free at this site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at http://www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

Eduardo M. Ochoa,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-10032 Filed 4-25-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P