[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 211 (Tuesday, November 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67429-67430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28266]


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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.

ACTION: Opportunity 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).

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SUMMARY: This notice invites the public to submit written comments and 
requests to make oral comments concerning the NACIQI's draft report on 
the reauthorization of the HEA.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NACIQI meeting will be held on December 
14-16, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 5:30 p.m., at the Crowne 
Plaza Old Town Alexandria, Washington Ballroom, 901 North Fairfax 
Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
    During the afternoons of December 15 and December 16, 2011, the 
Committee will consider its report on the reauthorization of the HEA.
    Agenda for the Portion of the Meeting Concerning the Committee's 
Draft Report on the HEA: The portion of the meeting concerning the 
Committee's draft report will consist of public comments and 
deliberations concerning the draft report to the Secretary of U.S. 
Department of Education on the reauthorization of the HEA. The report 
may be accessed at http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/naciqi-dir/hea-recommendations.doc and http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/naciqi-dir/hea-recommendations.pdf.
    Submission of Written Comments Concerning the Committee's Draft 
Report on the Reauthorization of the HEA: Submitters should provide 
written comments as a Microsoft Word document that is attached to an 
electronic mail message (email) or provide comments in the body of an 
email message. Email messages must be received no later than November 
25, 2011, to [email protected] with the subject line ``Written 
Comments regarding the draft report on the reauthorization of the HEA: 
Option Letter and/or Number.''
    The Department intends to post the submissions on the NACIQI Web 
site. To help ensure accessibility to all interested parties, we are 
requesting that all submissions comply with the requirements of Section 
508 of the Rehabilitation Act, or be submitted in an electronic format 
that can be made accessible, such as Microsoft Word. However, we will 
accept comments in any electronic or written form provided, but 
comments submitted in other forms, which are inaccessible, will not be 
posted online. Instead, we will index the inaccessible comments 
received and make them available upon request. Also, if copyrighted 
materials are submitted, written permission to post the materials on 
the U.S. Department of Education's NACIQI Web site must accompany the 
copyrighted materials.
    Only materials submitted by the deadline to the email 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 NACIQI members or to 
staff.
    Instructions for Requests to Make Oral Comments Concerning the 
Committee's Draft Report on the Reauthorization of the HEA: There are 
two methods the public may use to make an oral comment concerning the 
Committee's report on the reauthorization of the HEA.
    Method One: Submit a request by email 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 November 18, 2011, and must be sent to 
[email protected] with the subject line ``Oral Comment Request 
regarding the draft report on the reauthorization of the HEA: Option 
Letter and/or Number.'' Your request (no more than one page maximum) 
must include:
    1. The name, title, affiliation, mailing address, email 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.
    Do not send material directly to the NACIQI members or staff.
    Method Two: Register on December 16, 2011, for an opportunity to 
comment on the draft report. The requester should provide his or her 
name, title, affiliation, mailing address, email address, telephone and 
facsimile numbers, and Web site (if any). The requester should provide 
the ``Option Letter and/or Number'' for the item the requester wishes 
to address. Up to 30 minutes total will be divided among oral 
commenters who register (in addition to those commenters who signed up 
in advance). Individuals or groups that register to make oral comments 
on December 16. 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

[[Page 67430]]

Committee may engage the commenter in discussion afterwards. If a 
person or group requests to make comments in advance, they cannot sign-
up to make comments at the meeting.
    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 December 14 and 15, 2011: Two separate Federal 
Register notices were previously published on August 17, 2011 (76 FR 
51014) and [publication date to be determined for the NACIQI Oral 
Comments notice] that contained the meeting notice and instructions for 
providing written or oral comments concerning the agencies and the 
Federal institution 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 
emailing [email protected], or by calling (202) 219-7067 to 
schedule an appointment.
    Reasonable Accommodation: Individuals who will need accommodations 
for a disability in order to attend the December 14-16, 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, email: [email protected], no 
later than November 21, 2011. We will attempt to meet requests after 
this date but 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; email: 
[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.
    NACIQI'S Statutory Authority and Functions: The NACIQI is 
established under Section 114 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 
1965, 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.
    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 and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, 
as well as all other document 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. 2011-28266 Filed 10-31-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P