[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 218 (Thursday, November 12, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69953-69954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28746]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity Meeting; Update and Correction

AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity (NACIQI), U.S. Department of Education.

ACTION: Announcement of the time and location of the NACIQI meeting; 
and a correction to the agenda.

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SUMMARY: This meeting notice is an update to the previous notice 
published in the Federal Register (176 FR 54774) on September 11, 2015, 
and sets forth the time and location for the December 16, 17, and 18, 
2015 NACIQI meeting. This notice also provides a correction to the 
current and requested scopes of recognition for the Western Association 
of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community Colleges 
and Junior Colleges (WASC ACCJC), and clarifies the scope of review to 
be conducted at the meeting for the Northwest Commission on Colleges 
and Universities (MWCCU) and WASC ACCJC. Further, this notice adds an 
item to the agenda. 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 (HEA), as 
amended.

DATES: The NACIQI meeting will be held on December 16, 17, and 18, 
2015, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town, 
1767 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Hong, Executive Director/
Designated Federal Official, NACIQI, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 
K Street NW., Room 8073, Washington, DC 20006-8129, telephone: (202) 
502-7696; fax: (202) 502-7874, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Meeting Agenda Correction: A correction to current and requested 
scopes of recognition for the Western Association of Schools and 
Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges 
(WASC ACCJC); clarification regarding the scope of review at the 
meeting for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities 
(NWCCU) and WASC ACCJC; and addition of an agenda item.
    Below is the requested and current scopes of recognition for WASC 
ACCJC, scheduled for review during the December 2015 meeting:

Compliance Report

    Current Scope of Recognition: The accreditation and 
preaccreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') of community and 
other colleges with a primarily pre-baccalaureate mission located 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, which offer certificates, associate degrees, and the 
first baccalaureate degree by means of a substantive change review 
offered by institutions that are already accredited by the agency, and 
such programs offered via distance education and correspondence 
education at these colleges. This recognition also extends to the 
Committee on Substantive Change of the Commission, for decisions on

[[Page 69954]]

substantive changes, and the Appeals Panel.
    Requested Scope of Recognition: The accreditation and 
preaccreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') of community and 
other colleges 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 Marianas, and the Republic 
of the Marshall Islands, which have as a primary mission the granting 
of associate degrees, but which may also award certificates and other 
credentials, including bachelor's degrees, where the provision of such 
credentials is within the institution's mission and, if applicable, is 
authorized by their governmental authorities, and the accreditation of 
such programs offered via distance education and correspondence 
education at these colleges. This recognition also extends to the 
Committee on Substantive Change of the Commission, for decisions on 
substantive changes, and the Appeals Panel.

Clarification Regarding Scope of Review

    Decisions letters issued in January 2014 by the senior Department 
official on recognition matters are posted on the Department's Web site 
at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/index.cfm.
    NWCCU and WASC ACCJC timely appealed to the Secretary from several 
of the findings contained in the senior Department official's January 
2014 decision letters to those agencies.

1. NWCCU (Compliance Report)

    The agency appealed five of the ten findings outlined in the senior 
Department official's January 2014 decision letter.
    The agency prevailed on appeal on three of the five issues. As a 
consequence of the appeal, only the following five remaining findings 
will be considered at the December 2015 meeting for NWCCU: 34 CFR 
602.15(a)(5); 602.16(a)(1)(ix); 602.20(b); 602.23(c); and 602.26(d). 
The Secretary's December 2014 appeal decision may be found here: http://oha.ed.gov/secretaryindex.html

2. WASC ACCJC (Compliance Report)

    The agency appealed two of the 15 findings outlined in the senior 
Department official's January 2014 decision letter. The appeal remains 
pending. Because those two findings remain on appeal, only the other 13 
findings addressed in the senior Department official's decision letter 
will be considered at the December 2015 meeting for WASC ACCJC: 34 CFR 
602.12(b); 602.16(a)(1)(i); 602.16(a)(1)(ii); 602.16(a)(1)(iii); 
602.17(a); 602.17(f); 602.18(e); 602.19(b); 602.20(a); 602.20(b); 
602.21(c); 602.25(c); and 602.26(b).
    Public comments (written and oral) for NWCCU and WASC ACCJC must be 
confined to the criteria for recognition listed above.

3. Scope of Review at the December 2015 Meeting for Agencies Other Than 
NWCCU and WASC ACCJC

    Public comments (written and oral) for all other agencies listed on 
the December agenda for consideration of compliance reports must relate 
to issues identified in the senior Department official's letter that 
requested the report.
    Public comments (written and oral) for agencies listed on the 
December agenda for consideration for initial or renewal of recognition 
must relate to the agency's compliance with the Criteria for the 
Recognition of Accrediting Agencies [34 CFR 602], the Criteria and 
Procedures for Recognition of State Agencies for the Approval of Public 
Postsecondary Vocational Education [34 CFR 603], and the Criteria and 
Procedures for Recognition of State Agencies for Approval of Nurse 
Education, as appropriate.
    Addition of Agenda Item: On Wednesday, December 16, 2015, the 
NACIQI will receive a briefing to continue their discussion from the 
June 25-26, 2015 meeting regarding how to frame the NACIQI's policy 
agenda to inform the agency recognition process and to develop broader 
perspectives about how accrediting agencies consider data about student 
outcomes. The briefing and attendant discussion will commence prior to 
the review of agencies on the agenda, and will resume after the NACIQI 
has completed its review of agencies.
    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.
    Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated 
authority to Jamienne S. Studley, Deputy Under Secretary, to perform 
the functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 
Education.

    Authority: Section 114 of the HEA of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 
1011c.

Jamienne S. Studley,
Deputy Under Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-28746 Filed 11-10-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P