[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 3, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 358-361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-28406]


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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 (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, time, and location for the 
February 7-9, 2018 meeting of the National Advisory Committee on 
Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), and provides information 
to members of the public regarding the meeting, including requesting to 
make oral comments. The notice of this meeting is required under the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the Higher Education Act 
(HEA) of 1965, as amended.

DATES: The NACIQI meeting will be held on February 7, 8, and 9, 2018, 
each day from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle NW, National 
Ballroom, Washington, DC 20005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Hong, Executive Director/
Designated Federal Official, NACIQI, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue SW, Room 6W250, Washington, DC 20202, telephone: (202) 
453-7805, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    NACIQI's Statutory Authority and Function: NACIQI is established 
under Sec.  114 of the HEA. NACIQI advises the Secretary of Education 
with respect to:
     The establishment and enforcement of the standards of 
accrediting agencies or associations under subpart 2, part G, Title IV 
of the HEA, as amended.
     The recognition of specific accrediting agencies or 
associations.
     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 and part C, subchapter I, 
chapter 34, Title 42, 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 of Education may prescribe 
by regulation.
    Meeting Agenda: Agenda items for the February 2018 meeting are 
below.

Agencies Applying for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Scope of 
Recognition: Accreditation of nursing education programs and schools, 
both postsecondary and higher degree, which offer a certificate, 
diploma, or a recognized professional degree including clinical 
doctorate, masters, baccalaureate, associate, diploma, and practical 
nursing programs in the United States and its territories, including 
those offered via distance education.
    2. Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, Scope of 
Recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation of basic 
certificate, basic graduate nurse-midwifery, direct entry midwifery, 
and pre-certification nurse-midwifery education programs, including 
those programs that offer distance education in the United States.
    3. American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on 
Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, Scope of Recognition: 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.
    4. Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Scope of 
Recognition: 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 and correspondence 
education programs offered at those institutions.
    5. Higher Learning Commission, Scope of Recognition: The 
accreditation and preaccreditation (``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 the tribal 
institutions and the accreditation of programs offered via distance 
education and correspondence education within these institutions. This 
recognition extends to the Institutional Actions Council jointly with 
the Board of Trustees of the Commission for decisions on cases for 
continued accreditation or reaffirmation, and continued candidacy, and 
to the Appeals Body jointly with the Board of Trustees of the 
Commission for decisions related to initial candidacy or accreditation 
or reaffirmation of accreditation.
    6. New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on 
Institutions of Higher Education, Scope of Recognition: The 
accreditation and pre-accreditation (``Candidacy Status'')of 
institutions of higher education in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, 
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont that award bachelor's, 
master's, and/or doctoral degrees and associate degree-granting 
institutions in those states that include degrees in liberal arts or 
general studies among their offerings, including the accreditation of 
programs offered via distance education within these institutions.
    7. New York State Board of Regents, and the Commission of 
Education, Scope of Recognition: 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.
    8. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Senior Colleges and 
Universities, Scope of Recognition: 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.

Application for Compliance Report

    1. American Board of Funeral Service Education, Committee on 
Accreditation, Compliance report includes the following: Findings 
identified in the March 10, 2016 letter from the senior Department 
official following the December 2015 NACIQI meeting available at: 
https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm. That letter 
identifies the following Criteria as areas of noncompliance: 34 CFR 
602.15(a)(6), 602.20(b), and 602.24(f)(2). Scope of recognition: 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.
    2. Midwifery Education Accreditation Council, Compliance report 
includes the following: Findings identified in the March 10, 2016 
letter from the senior

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Department official following the December 2015 NACIQI meeting 
available at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm. That 
letter identifies the following Criteria as areas of noncompliance: 34 
CFR 602.19(b), 602.20(a), and 602.20(b). Scope of recognition: 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.
    3. Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, 
Compliance report includes the following: Findings identified in the 
March 10, 2016 letter from the senior Department official following the 
December 2015 NACIQI meeting available at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm. That letter identifies the following 
Criteria as areas of noncompliance: 34 CFR 602.17(f), 602.19(b), and 
602.20(b). Scope of recognition: The accreditation of Montessori 
teacher education institutions and programs throughout the United 
States, including those offered via distance education.

Applications for Renewal of Recognition--State Approval Agency for 
Nurse Education

    North Dakota Board of Nursing.

Compliance Report--State Approval Agency for Nurse Education

    New York State Board of Regents, State Education Department, Office 
of the Professions, Nursing Education Compliance report includes the 
following: Finding identified in the March 10, 2016 letter from the 
senior Department official following the December 2015 NACIQI meeting 
available at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm. That 
letter identifies the following Criterion as an area of noncompliance: 
34 CFR 603.24(d).

Compliance Report--State Agency for the Approval of Public 
Postsecondary Vocational Education

    Oklahoma Board of Career and Technology Education, Compliance 
report includes the following: Findings identified in the March 10, 
2016 letter from the senior Department official following the December 
2015 NACIQI meeting available at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaff reports.cfm. That letter identifies the following Criteria 
as areas of noncompliance: 34 CFR 603.24(a)(1)(ii), 
603.24(a)(3)(ii)(A), 603.24(b)(1)(iii), 603.24(b)(1)(iv), 
603.24(b)(1)(v), 603.24(b)(1)(vi), 603.24(b)(1)(vii), 603.24(b)(2)(i), 
603.24(b)(2)(ii), 603.24(b)(2)(iii), 603.24(d)(1), 603.24(d)(2). Scope 
of Recognition: The approval of public postsecondary vocational 
education offered at institutions in the State of Oklahoma that are not 
under the jurisdiction of the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher 
Education, including the approval of public postsecondary vocational 
education offered via distance education.

Panel on Student-Level Data Network

    NACIQI will continue its discussion of the availability and 
accessibility of quality data to inform its review of accrediting 
agencies and its policy recommendations. NACIQI will hear from a panel 
of experts regarding key issues to consider toward a federal 
postsecondary student-level data network.

Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform

    The Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform will report out on its 
activities and on any draft recommendations to the full Committee.

Meeting Discussion Regarding Individual Agencies

    In addition to following the HEA, the FACA, implementing 
regulations, and the NACIQI charter, as well as its customary 
procedural protocols, NACIQI inquiries will include the questions and 
topics listed in the pilot plan it adopted at its December 2015 
meeting. A document entitled ``June 2016 Pilot Plan'' and available at: 
http://sites.ed.gov/naciqi/files/naciqi-dir/2016-spring/pilot-project-march-2016.pdf, provides further explanation and context framing 
NACIQI's work. As noted in this document, NACIQI's reviews of 
accrediting agencies will include consideration of data and information 
available on the accreditation data dashboards, https://sites.ed.gov/naciqi/files/2017/09/Institutional-Performance-by-Accreditor-June-2017-Corrected.pdf. Accrediting agencies that will be reviewed for renewal 
of recognition will not be on the consent agenda and are advised to 
come prepared to answer questions related to the following:
     Decision activities of and data gathered by the agency.
    [cir] NACIQI will inquire about the range of accreditation 
activities of the agency since its prior review for recognition, 
including discussion about the various favorable, monitoring, and 
adverse actions taken. Information about the primary standards cited 
for the monitoring and adverse actions that have been taken will be 
sought.
    [cir] NACIQI will also inquire about what data the agency routinely 
gathers about the activities of the institutions it accredits and about 
how that data is used in their evaluative processes.
     Standards and practices with regard to student 
achievement.
    [cir] How does the agency address ``success with respect to student 
achievement'' in the institutions it accredits?
    [cir] Why was this strategy chosen? How is this appropriate in the 
agency's context?
    [cir] What are the student achievement challenges in the 
institutions accredited by the agency?
    [cir] What has changed/is likely to change in the standards about 
student achievement for the institutions accredited by the agency?
    [cir] In what ways have student achievement results been used for 
monitoring or adverse actions?
     Agency activities in improving program/institutional 
quality.
    [cir] How does this agency define ``at risk?''
    [cir] What tools does this agency use to evaluate ``at risk'' 
status?
    [cir] What tools does this agency have to help ``at risk'' 
institutions improve?
    [cir] What can the agency tell us about how well these tools for 
improvement have worked?

To the extent NACIQI's questions go to improvement of institutions and 
programs that are not at risk of falling into noncompliance with agency 
requirements, the responses will be used to inform NACIQI's general 
policy recommendations to the Department rather than its 
recommendations regarding recognition of any individual agency.

    The discussions and issues described above are in addition to, 
rather than substituting for, exploration by Committee members of any 
topic relevant to recognition.
    Submission of requests to make an oral comment regarding a specific 
accrediting agency or state approval agency under review, or an oral or 
written statement regarding other issues within the scope of NACIQI's 
authority: Opportunity to submit a written comment regarding a specific 
accrediting agency or state approval agency under review was provided 
by a previous Federal Register notice published on July 25, 2017 (82 FR 
34511). The comment period for submission of such written comments 
closed on August 13, 2017. Additional written comments regarding a 
specific

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agency or state approval agency under review will not be accepted at 
this time. However, members of the public may submit written statements 
regarding other issues within the scope of NACIQI's authority for 
consideration by the Committee in the manner described below. No 
individual in attendance or making oral presentations may distribute 
written materials at the meeting. Oral comments may not exceed three 
minutes.
    Oral comments about an agency's recognition after review of a 
compliance report must relate to issues identified in the compliance 
report and the criteria for recognition cited in the senior Department 
official's letter that requested the report, or in the Secretary's 
appeal decision, if any. Oral comments about an agency seeking 
expansion of scope must be directed to the agency's ability to serve as 
a recognized accrediting agency with respect to the kinds of 
institutions or programs requested to be added. Oral 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 Nurse Education, as 
appropriate, which are available at: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. Written statements and oral comments, besides those 
regarding a specific accrediting agency under review, must be limited 
to the scope of NACIQI's authority as outlined under section 114 of the 
HEA.
    There are two methods the public may use to request to make a 
third-party oral comment of three minutes at the February 7-9, 2018 
meeting. To submit a written statement to NACIQI in accordance with the 
parameters stated above, please follow Method One.
    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 January 26, 2018, and 
include the subject line ``Oral Comment Request: (agency name),'' 
``Oral Comment Request: (subject)'' or ``Written Statement: 
(subject).'' The email must include the name(s), title, organization/
affiliation, mailing address, email address, telephone number, of the 
person(s) submitting a written statement or requesting to speak, and a 
brief summary (not to exceed one page) of the principal points to be 
made during the oral presentation, if applicable. All individuals 
submitting a request in accordance with the deadlines and instructions 
contained in this notice will be afforded an opportunity to speak.
    Method Two: Register at the meeting location on February 7, 2018, 
from 7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m., to make an oral comment during NACIQI's 
deliberations. The requestor must provide the subject on which he or 
she wishes to comment, in addition to his or her name, title, 
organization/affiliation, mailing address, email address, and telephone 
number. A total of up to fifteen minutes for each agenda item will be 
allotted for oral commenters who register on February 7, 2018 by 8:30 
a.m. Individuals will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. 
If selected, each commenter may not exceed three minutes.
    Access to Records of the Meeting: The Department will post the 
official report of the meeting on the NACIQI website within 90 days 
after the meeting. Pursuant to the FACA, the public may also inspect 
the materials at 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC, by emailing 
[email protected] or by calling (202) 453-7110 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.

Kathleen A. Smith,
Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary, Delegated Authority of 
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2017-28406 Filed 1-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P