[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 111 (Monday, June 10, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26826-26828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12123]


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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 
July 30-31, 2019 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 
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 July 30-31, 2019, from 8:30 
a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Hilton Hotel--Old Town Alexandria, Grand Ballroom, 1767 King 
Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Hong, Executive Director/
Designated Federal Official, NACIQI, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue SW, Room 271-03, Washington, DC 20202, telephone: (202) 
453-7805, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    NACIQI's Statutory Authority and Function: NACIQI is established 
under section 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 July 2019 meeting are below.

Agencies Applying for Initial Recognition

    1. National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education 
Accreditation. Requested Scope of Recognition: The pre-accreditation 
and accreditation of nursing education programs, in the United States 
and its territories, which offer a certificate, diploma or degree at 
the practical/vocational, diploma, associate, baccalaureate, masters, 
doctoral levels, including those offered via distance education.

Agencies Applying for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training. Scope 
of Recognition: The accreditation throughout the United States of 
institutions of higher education that offer continuing education and 
vocational programs that confer certificates or occupational associate 
degrees, including those programs offered via distance education.
    2. American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education. 
Scope of Recognition: 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.
    3. Council on Education for Public Health. Scope of Recognition: 
The accreditation within the United States of schools of public health 
and public health programs outside schools of public health, at the 
baccalaureate and graduate degree levels, including those offered via 
distance education.
    4. National Association of Schools of Dance, Commission on 
Accreditation. Scope of recognition: The accreditation throughout the 
United States of freestanding institutions that offer dance and dance-
related programs (both degree and non-degree-granting), including those 
offered via distance education.
    5. National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on 
Accreditation. Scope of recognition: The accreditation throughout the 
United States of freestanding institutions that offer music and music 
related programs (both degree and non-degree-granting), including those 
offered via distance education.
    6. National Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on 
Accreditation. Scope of recognition: The accreditation throughout the 
United States of freestanding institutions that offer theatre and 
theatre-related programs (both degree and non-degree-granting), 
including those offered via distance education.
    7. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting 
Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. 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 substantive changes, and the Appeals Panel.

Compliance Report

    1. The Council on Chiropractic Education. Compliance report 
includes the following: Finding identified in the May 25, 2017 letter 
from the senior Department official following the

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February 22, 2017 NACIQI meeting available at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm, with respect to recognition requirements 
found at 34 CFR 602.20(a). Scope of Recognition: The accreditation of 
programs leading to the Doctor of Chiropractic degree and single-
purpose institutions offering the Doctor of Chiropractic program.
    2. Commission on English Language Program Accreditation. Compliance 
report includes the following: Finding identified in the May 25, 2017 
letter from the senior Department official following the February 22, 
2017 NACIQI meeting available at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm, with respect to recognition requirements found 
at 34 CFR 602.20(b). Scope of Recognition: The accreditation of 
postsecondary, non-degree-granting English language programs and 
institutions in the United States.
    3. Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools. Compliance report 
includes the following: Finding identified in the September 20, 2017 
letter from the senior Department official following the June 20, 2017 
NACIQI meeting available at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm, with respect to recognition requirements found 
at 34 CFR 602.15(a)(1) and 602.15(a)(2). Scope of recognition: The 
accreditation of institutions with postsecondary, non-degree granting 
career and technology programs in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New 
York, Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of 
Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to include the accreditation of 
postsecondary, non-degree granting institutions that offer all or part 
of their educational programs via distance education modalities.
    4. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on 
Colleges (SACSCOC). Compliance report includes the following: Finding 
identified in the September 20, 2017 letter from the senior Department 
official following the June 20, 2017 NACIQI meeting available at: 
https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm, with respect to 
recognition requirements found at 34 CFR 602.15(a)(2). Scope of 
recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate for 
Accreditation'') of degree-granting institutions of higher education in 
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North 
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, including the 
accreditation of programs offered via distance and correspondence 
education within these institutions. This recognition extends to the 
SACSCOC Board of Trustees and the Appeals Committee of the College 
Delegate Assembly on cases of initial candidacy or initial 
accreditation and for continued accreditation or candidacy.

Application for an Expansion of Scope

    1. Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. Scope of 
Recognition: The accreditation of both clinical pastoral education 
(CPE) centers and supervisory CPE programs located within the United 
States and territories. Requested Scope of Recognition: The provisional 
accreditation and accreditation of both clinical pastoral education 
(CPE) centers and certified educator CPE programs within the United 
States and territories, including those that offer those programs via 
distance education.
    2. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting 
Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. Scope of Recognition: The 
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') of 
community and other colleges with a primarily prebaccalaureate 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 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.

Subcommittee on Substantive Change

    The subcommittee on substantive change will report out to the full 
committee on its charge from the May 22-24, 2018 meeting to look at the 
issue of substantive changes, including, but not limited to, for-profit 
institutions' conversions to non-profit entities.

Accreditation Rules

    The Principal Deputy Under Secretary Delegated the Duties to 
Perform the Duties of Under Secretary will provide remarks on the 
Administration's implementation of regulations under 34 CFR 602. The 
Department reached consensus on rules governing the Secretary's 
recognition process during negotiated rulemaking sessions on April 3, 
2019.

Meeting Discussion

    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'' 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/2018/05/NACIQI-May-2018-Accreditor-Dashboards.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

[[Page 26828]]

accredits and about how that data is used in their evaluative 
processes.
     Standards and practices with regard to student 
achievement.
    [cir] How does your agency address ``success with respect to 
student achievement'' in the institutions it accredits?
    [cir] Why was this strategy chosen? How is this appropriate in your 
context?
    [cir] What are the student achievement challenges in the 
institutions accredited by your agency?
    [cir] What has changed/is likely to change in the standards about 
student achievement for the institutions accredited by your 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 NACIQI members of any 
topic relevant to recognition.
    Submission of requests to make an oral comment regarding a specific 
accrediting agency under review, or to make an oral comment or written 
statement regarding other issues within the scope of NACIQI's 
authority: Opportunity to submit a written statement regarding a 
specific accrediting agency under review was solicited by two previous 
Federal Register notices published on September 4, 2018 (Vol. 83, No. 
171) and March 4, 2019 (Vol. 84, No. 42), respectively. The period for 
submission of such statements are now closed. Additional written 
comments regarding a specific 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 NACIQI in the manner 
described below. No individual in attendance or making oral comments 
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, which are available at http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. Written statements and oral 
comments concerning NACIQI's work outside of a specific accrediting 
agency under review must be limited to the scope of NACIQI's authority 
as outlined under section 114 of the HEA.
    To request to make a third-party oral comment of three minutes at 
the July 30-31, 2019 meeting, please follow either Method One or Method 
Two. To submit a written statement to NACIQI concerning its work 
outside a specific accrediting agency under review, 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. Written statements and requests to make oral comment 
must be received by July 12, 2019, 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 an advance 
request in accordance with this notice will be afforded an opportunity 
to speak.
    Method Two: Register at the meeting location on July 30, 2019, 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 July 30, 2019 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. In addition, pursuant to the FACA, the public may 
request to inspect records of the meeting at 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 
(202) 453-7615 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,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, and Innovation.
[FR Doc. 2019-12123 Filed 6-7-19; 8:45 am]
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