[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 165 (Tuesday, August 26, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50898-50900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19653]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity Meeting

AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity

[[Page 50899]]

(NACIQI), Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Announcement of an open meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the agenda for the December 11, 2014, 
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.

DATES: The NACIQI meeting will be held on December 11, 2014, from 8 
a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at a location to be determined in the Washington DC 
area.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary 
Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 8080, Washington, DC 20006. The 
exact location of the meeting 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 3, 2014.

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) 502-
7874, or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NACIQI's Statutory Authority and Function: 
The NACIQI is established under Section 114 of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965, as amended (HEA), 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 public postsecondary vocational 
education or nurse education 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.
    Meeting Agenda: In addition to its review of accrediting agencies 
and State approval agencies for Secretarial recognition, the meeting 
agenda will include Committee discussions regarding the Committee's 
draft policy recommendations to advise the Secretary in preparation for 
the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA).
    Below is a list of agencies, including their current and requested 
scopes of recognition, scheduled for review during the December 11, 
2014 meeting:

Petition for Initial Recognition

Accrediting Agency

    1. Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) 
(Requested Scope: The accreditation of educator preparation programs in 
degree-granting institutions of higher education throughout the United 
States that offer certificates/licensure, or associates, bachelors, 
masters, post-baccalaureate, or doctoral degrees, including those 
offered via distance education.)

Petitions for Recognition Based on a Compliance Report

Accrediting Agencies

    1. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for 
Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) (Current Scope: The 
accreditation and preaccreditation, within the United States, of 
Didactic and Coordinated Programs in Dietetics at both the 
undergraduate and graduate level, postbaccalaureate Dietetic 
Internships, and Dietetic Technician Programs at the associate degree 
level, and accreditation of such programs offered via distance 
education.)
    2. American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) (Current 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.) (Requested Scope: The accreditation 
and preaccreditation (``Provisional Accreditation'') in the United 
States of programs leading to professional degrees (D.V.M. or D.M.D.) 
in veterinary medicine.) NOTE: The language above reflects a technical 
change initiated by Department staff regarding the term the agency uses 
to confer its ``preaccreditation'' status.
    3. 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 programs offered at those institutions.)
    4. New York State Board of Regents, and the Commissioner of 
Education (NYSBR) (Current and Requested Scope: 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 including accreditation of programs offered 
via distance education within these institutions.)
    5. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting 
Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASC-SR) (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 Approval Agency for Vocational Education

    1. Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education (OKSB-
vt).
    Submission of written comments regarding a specific accrediting 
agency or state approval agency under review: Written comments about 
the recognition of a specific accrediting or State agency must be 
received by September 22, 2014, in the [email protected] 
mailbox and include the subject line ``Written Comments: (agency 
name).''
    The email must include the name(s), title, organization/
affiliation, mailing address, email address, and telephone number of 
the person(s) making the

[[Page 50900]]

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 recognition after 
review of a compliance report must relate to the issues raised in the 
compliance report and the criteria for recognition cited in the 
Secretary's letter that requested the report. Comments about the 
renewal of an agency's recognition based on a review of the agency's 
petition 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 Public Postsecondary 
Vocational 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 a 
compliance report or a petition should report those concerns directly 
to the Department to be reviewed as a complaint. 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 NACIQI in their deliberations. Please do not send 
material directly to NACIQI members.
    Submission of requests to make an oral comment regarding a specific 
accrediting agency or state approval agency under review: There are two 
methods the public may use to make a third-party oral comment of three 
minutes concerning one of the agencies scheduled for review at the 
December 11, 2014 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 Public Postsecondary Vocational 
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] mailbox. Please do not send material directly 
to NACIQI members. Requests must be received by September 22, 2014, and 
include the subject line ``Oral Comment Request: (agency name).'' The 
email must include the name(s), title, organization/affiliation, 
mailing address, email address, telephone number, of the person(s) 
requesting to speak, and a brief summary (not to exceed one page) of 
the principal points to be made during the oral presentation. All 
individuals submitting an advance request in accordance with this 
notice will be afforded an opportunity to speak.
    Method Two: Register at the meeting location on December 11, 2014, 
to make an oral comment during NACIQI's deliberations concerning a 
particular agency or institution scheduled for review. The requestor 
must provide his or her name, title, organization/affiliation, mailing 
address, email address, and telephone number. A total of up to fifteen 
minutes during each agency review will be allotted for oral commenters 
who register on December 11, 2014. Individuals will be selected on a 
first-come, first-served basis. If selected, each commenter may not 
exceed three minutes.
    The oral comments made will become part of the official record and 
will be considered by the Department and NACIQI in their deliberations. 
No individual in attendance or making oral presentations may distribute 
written materials at the meeting.
    Submission of written comments regarding the committee's policy 
recommendations: The Committee will publish its draft policy 
recommendations at http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/naciqi.html#meetings by October 15, 2014, and invites written comments. 
Comments must be received by November 15, 2014, in the 
[email protected] mailbox and include the subject line 
``Written Comments: Policy Recommendations''. The email must include 
the name(s), title, organization/affiliation, mailing address, email 
address, and telephone number, of the person(s) 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. Please do not send material directly to the NACIQI 
members.
    Access to Records of the Meeting: The Department will post the 
official report of the meeting on the NACIQI Web site 90 days 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.
    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.

    Authority:  20 U.S.C. 1011c.

Lynn B. Mahaffie,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2014-19653 Filed 8-25-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P