[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 160 (Friday, August 17, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49786-49788]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20281]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity (NACIQI)

AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Announcement of an open meeting of the National Advisory 
Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) and 
information pertaining to members of the public submitting third-party 
written and oral comments.

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

ADDRESSES: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary 
Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 8072, Washington, DC 20006.
    NACIQI'S Statutory Authority and Function: The NACIQI is 
established under Section 114 of the 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, of the 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, of the HEA, together with 
recommendations for improvement in such process.
     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 function relating to accreditation and 
institutional eligibility that the Secretary may prescribe.
SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the agenda for the December 11-12, 
2012, meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional 
Quality and Integrity (NACIQI); and provides information to members of 
the public on submitting written comments and on requesting to make 
oral comments at the meeting. 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 (HEA) of 1965, as 
amended.
    Meeting Date and Place: The NACIQI meeting will be held on December 
11-12, 2012, from approximately 8:00 a.m. to approximately 5:30 p.m. at 
a location to be determined in the Washington, DC area. The exact 
location will be published in the Federal Register and on the 
Department's Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/naciqi.html#meetings by November 2, 2012.
    Meeting Agenda: The meeting will include a review of accrediting 
and State agencies seeking a renewal of recognition and a policy 
discussion session on NACIQI's potential for addressing HEA-related 
accreditation issues and recommendations currently being discussed 
within the higher education community. Below is a list of agencies, 
including their current and requested scopes of recognition, scheduled 
for review during the December 11-12, 2012, meeting:

Petitions for Continued Recognition

Accrediting Agencies

    1. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for 
Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) (Current and Requested 
Scope: The accreditation and pre-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.)
    2. American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on 
Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) (Current and 
Requested Scope: The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate 
for Accreditation'') in the United States of physical therapist 
education programs leading to the first professional degree at the 
master's or doctoral level and physical therapist assistant education 
programs at the associate degree level and for its accreditation of 
such programs offered via distance education.)
    3. American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education 
(AVMA-COE) (Current and Requested Scope: The accreditation and 
preaccreditation (``Reasonable Assurance'') in the United States of 
programs leading to professional degrees (D.V.M. or D.M.D.) in 
veterinary medicine.)
    4. Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) (Current and 
Requested Scope: The accreditation of medical education programs within 
the

[[Page 49787]]

United States leading to the M.D. degree.)
    5. Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) (Current 
Scope: 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.) REQUESTED SCOPE: 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 
and correspondence education offered at those institutions.
    6. New York State Board of Regents, and the Commissioner of 
Education (NYBRE) (Current and Requested Scope: The accreditation of 
those degree-granting institutions of higher education in New York, 
including distance education offered by those institutions, that 
designate the agency as their sole or primary nationally recognized 
accrediting agency for purposes of establishing eligibility to 
participate in HEA programs.)
    7. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting 
Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASCSR) (Current and 
Requested Scope: The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate 
for Accreditation'') of senior colleges and universities in California, 
Hawaii, the United States territories of Guam and American Samoa, the 
Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Republic of the Marshall 
Islands, including distance education programs offered at those 
institutions.)

State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education

    1. Missouri State Board of Nursing (MOSBN) (Current Scope: State 
agency for the approval of nurse education in the State of Missouri.)

Compliance Reports

    1. Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) (Current 
Scope: 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, Academic Associate degree, or Baccalaureate 
degree, including those offered via distance education.)
    2. American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) (Current 
Scope: The accreditation of institutions and programs within the United 
States awarding diplomas, associate degrees and bachelor's degrees in 
funeral service or mortuary science, including the accreditation of 
distance learning courses and programs offered by these programs and 
institutions.)
    3. Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) (Current 
Scope: The accreditation of institutions and programs in the United 
States that award postsecondary certificates, postsecondary diplomas, 
academic Associate degrees and occupational Associate degrees, in the 
practice of massage therapy, bodywork, and aesthetics/esthetics and 
skin care, including components of programs which are offered through 
distance learning modalities.)
    4. Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) (Current Scope: 
The accreditation of postsecondary institutions in the United States 
that offer degree programs primarily by distance education up through 
professional doctoral degree, and are specifically certified by the 
agency as accredited for Title IV purposes; and for the accreditation 
of postsecondary institutions in the United States not participating in 
Title IV that offer programs primarily by distance education up through 
professional doctoral degrees.)
    5. Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) (Current Scope: 
The accreditation and pre-accreditation throughout the United States of 
direct-entry midwifery educational institutions and programs conferring 
degrees and certificates, including the accreditation of such programs 
offered via distance education.)
    6. Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) 
(Current Scope: The accreditation of Montessori teacher education 
institutions and programs throughout the United States, including those 
offered via distance education and correspondence education.)
    7. Higher Learning Commission (HLC) (Current Scope: The 
accreditation and pre-accreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') 
of degree-granting institutions of higher education in Arizona, 
Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, 
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, 
Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, 
including tribal institutions, and the accreditation of programs 
offered via distance education within these institutions. This 
recognition extends to the Institutional Actions Committee jointly with 
the Board of Trustees of the Commission for decisions on cases for 
continued accreditation or reaffirmation and continued candidacy. This 
recognition also extends to the Review Committee of the Accreditation 
Review Council, jointly with the Board of Trustees of the Commission, 
for decisions on cases for continued accreditation or candidacy and for 
initial candidacy or initial accreditation when there is a consensus 
decision by the Review Committee.
    Submission of Written Comments: Written comments must be received 
by September 10, 2012, in the [email protected] and 
include the subject line ``Written Comments: re (agency name).'' The 
email must include the name, title, affiliation, mailing address, email 
address, telephone and facsimile numbers and Web site (if any) of the 
person/group making the comment. Comments should be submitted as a 
Microsoft Word document or in a medium compatible with Microsoft Word 
(not a PDF file) that is attached to an electronic mail message (email) 
or provided in the body of an email message. Comments about an agency's 
compliance report must relate to the issues raised and the criteria for 
recognition cited in the Secretary's letter that requested the report. 
Comments about the renewal of an agency's recognition must relate to 
its compliance with the Criteria for the Recognition of Accrediting 
Agencies or the Criteria and Procedures for Recognition of State 
Agencies for Approval of Nurse Education, as appropriate, which are 
available at http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. Third 
parties having concerns about agencies regarding matters outside the 
scope of the petition should report those concerns to the Department. 
Only material 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 agencies scheduled for review and are 
considered by the Department and the NACIQI in their deliberations. 
Please do not send material directly to the NACIQI members.
    Submission of Requests To Make an Oral Comment: There are two 
methods the public may use to make a third-party oral comment of three 
to five minutes concerning one of the agencies scheduled for review at 
the December

[[Page 49788]]

11-12, 2012 meeting. Oral comments about agencies seeking renewal of 
recognition must relate to the Criteria for Recognition of Accrediting 
Agencies or the Criteria and Procedures for Recognition of State 
Agencies for Approval of Nurse Education, as appropriate, which are 
available at: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.
    Method One: Submit a request by email to the 
[email protected]. Please do not send material directly to 
NACIQI members. Requests must be received by September 10, 2012, and 
include the subject line ``Oral Comment Request: re (agency name).'' 
The email must include the name, title, affiliation, mailing address, 
email address, telephone and facsimile numbers and Web site (if any) of 
the person/group requesting to speak. All individuals or groups 
submitting an advance request in accordance with this notice will be 
afforded an opportunity to speak for a minimum of three minutes each. 
Each request must concern the recognition of a single agency 
tentatively scheduled in this notice for review, be no more than one 
page (maximum), and 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.
    Method Two: Register at the meeting location on December 11 or 
December 12, 2012, to make an oral comment during the NACIQI's 
deliberations concerning a particular agency scheduled for review that 
day. The requestor must provide his or her name, title, affiliation, 
mailing address, email address, telephone and facsimile numbers, and 
Web site (if any). A total of up to fifteen minutes during each agency 
review will be allotted for commenters who register on December 11 or 
December 12, 2012. Individuals or groups will be selected on a first-
come, first-served basis. If selected, each commenter may speak from 
three to five minutes, depending on the number of individuals or groups 
who signed up the day of the meeting.
    If a person or group requests, in advance, to make comments they 
cannot also register for an oral presentation opportunity on December 
11 or December 12, 2012. The oral comments made will become part of the 
official record and will be considered by the Department and NACIQI in 
their deliberations. Individuals and groups making oral presentations 
concerning scheduled agencies may not distribute written materials at 
the meeting.
    Access to Records of the Meeting: The Department will 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 Accommodations: The meeting site is accessible to 
individuals with disabilities. If you will need an auxiliary aid or 
service to participate in the meeting (e.g., interpreting service, 
assistive listening device, or materials in an alternate format), 
notify the contact person listed in this notice at least two weeks 
before the scheduled meeting date. Although we will attempt to meet a 
request received after that date, we may not be able to make available 
the requested auxiliary aid or service because of insufficient time to 
arrange it.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Griffiths, Executive Director, 
NACIQI, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 8073, 
Washington, DC 20006-8129, telephone: (202) 219-7035, fax: (202) 219-
7005, or email: [email protected].
    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: 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 the 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

David A. Bergeron,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2012-20281 Filed 8-16-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P