[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 117 (Friday, June 17, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36475-36477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-13033]


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

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Open Meeting; National Advisory Committee on 
Institutional Quality and Integrity

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

ACTION: Announcement of meeting.

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

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the agenda, time, and instructions to 
access or participate in the July 19-22, 2022, virtual meeting of 
NACIQI. This notice provides information about the meeting to members 
of the public who may be interested in attending the meeting and/or 
providing written or oral comments. 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 virtual NACIQI meeting will be held on July 19-22, 2022, 
from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time each day.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be virtual.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Alan Smith, Executive Director/
Designated Federal Official, NACIQI, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue SW, Room 2C-159, Washington, DC 20202, telephone: (202) 
453-7757, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Statutory Authority and Function

    NACIQI is established under section 114 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 
1011c). 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 H, 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; and
     Any other advisory function relating to accreditation and

[[Page 36476]]

institutional eligibility that the Secretary of Education may prescribe 
by regulation.

Meeting Agenda

    Agenda items for the July 19-22, 2022, meeting is listed below.

Applications for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Association for Biblical Higher Education, Commission on 
Accreditation. Scope of recognition: The accreditation and pre-
accreditation (``Candidate Status'') of institutions of biblical higher 
education in the United States offering undergraduate certificates, 
associate degrees, baccalaureate degrees, graduate certificates, and 
master's degrees, including the accreditation of educational programs 
offered via distance education.
    2. American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council 
for Occupational Therapy Education. Scope of recognition: The 
accreditation of occupational therapy educational programs offering the 
professional master's degree, combined baccalaureate/master's degree, 
and occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) degree; the accreditation of 
occupational therapy assistant programs offering the associate degree 
or a certificate; and the accreditation of these programs offered via 
distance education. Requested scope of recognition: The pre-
accreditation and accreditation throughout the United States of 
occupational therapy education programs offering the professional 
master's degree, combined baccalaureate/master's degree, and 
occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) degree; and occupational therapy 
assistant programs offering the baccalaureate degree, associate degree, 
or a certificate; including those programs offered via distance 
education.
    3. Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Scope of 
recognition: The accreditation and pre-accreditation within the United 
States of professional degree programs in pharmacy leading to the 
degree of Doctor of Pharmacy, including those programs offered via 
distance education.
    4. Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc., Accreditation 
Commission. Scope of recognition: The pre-accreditation (provisional) 
and accreditation of both clinical pastoral education (CPE) centers and 
Certified Educator CPE programs within the United States, including 
those programs offered via distance education.
    5. American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation. 
Scope of recognition: The accreditation of predoctoral dental education 
programs (leading to the D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree), advanced dental 
education programs, and allied dental education programs that are fully 
operational or have attained ``Initial Accreditation'' status, 
including programs offered via distance education.
    6. Distance Education Accrediting Commission. Scope of recognition: 
The accreditation of postsecondary institutions in the United States 
that offer degree and/or non-degree programs primarily by the distance 
or correspondence education method up to and including the professional 
doctoral degree, including those institutions that are specifically 
certified by the agency as accredited for Title IV purposes.
    7. Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools. Scope of 
recognition: The accreditation of postsecondary, non-degree granting 
institutions that offer all or part of their educational programs via 
distance education modalities in the United States.
    8. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on 
Colleges (``SACSCOC''). Scope of recognition: The accreditation and 
pre-accreditation (``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.

Compliance Report

    1. New York State Board of Regents, State Education Department, 
Office of the Professions (Public Postsecondary Vocational Education, 
Practical Nursing). Scope of Recognition: State agency for the approval 
of public postsecondary vocational education in the field of practical 
nursing offered by a Board of Cooperative Educational Services, an 
Educational Opportunity Center, City School Districts, and County 
Boards of Supervisors to prepare persons for licensed practical nursing 
careers in the State of New York. The compliance report includes 
findings of noncompliance with criteria in 34 CFR 603, as referenced in 
the senior Department official decision letter dated May 27, 2020, 
available under NACIQI meeting date 02/27/2020 at https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/PublicDocuments.

Administration Policy Update

    A representative from the Biden-Harris Administration will provide 
an update on the Administration's higher education policy priorities.

Accreditation Dashboard Subcommittee

    The NACIQI Accreditation Dashboard Subcommittee will provide a 
progress report.

NACIQI Policy Discussion

    In addition to its review of accrediting agencies and State 
approval agencies for Secretarial recognition, there will be time for 
Committee discussions regarding any of the categories within NACIQI's 
statutory authority in its capacity as an advisory committee.

Instructions for Accessing the Meeting

Registration

    You may register for the meeting on your computer using the link 
below. After you register, you will receive a confirmation email 
containing personalized participation links for each day of the two-day 
meeting. Dial-in numbers may be requested for each day of the meeting 
between 8:45 a.m.-9:45 a.m. Eastern Standard Time by emailing 
[email protected].

Registration Link

https://naciqisummer2022.eventbrite.com/.

Public Comment

    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:
    Submissions of written statements regarding a specific accrediting 
agency under review were solicited by a previous Federal Register 
notice published on July 12, 2021 (86 FR 36532; Document Number 2021-
14741). The period for submission of such statements is 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.
    Members of the public may request to make an oral comment about a 
specific agency or state approval agency under review and/or about 
other issues within the scope of NACIQI's authority. Oral comments may 
not exceed three minutes. Oral comments about an agency's recognition 
when a compliance report has been required by the senior

[[Page 36477]]

Department official or the Secretary must relate to 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 
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 (20 U.S.C. 1011c).

Instructions on Requesting To Make Oral Public Comment or To Submit a 
Written Statement to NACIQI Concerning Its Work Outside a Specific 
Accrediting Agency Under Review

    To request to make an oral comment of three minutes or less during 
the July 19-22, 2022 meeting, please follow either Method One or Method 
Two below. 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 to NACIQI concerning its work 
outside a specific accrediting agency under review and requests to make 
oral comment must be received by July 12, 2022, 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, and telephone number, of the person(s) submitting a written 
statement or requesting to speak. All individuals submitting an advance 
request in accordance with this notice will be afforded an opportunity 
to speak.
    Method Two (Only available to those seeking to make oral comments): 
Register on July 19, 2022, from 8:45 a.m.-9:45 a.m. Eastern Standard 
Time, by sending an email to the [email protected] mailbox with 
the subject line ``Oral Comment Request: (agency name)'' or ``Oral 
Comment Request: (subject).'' The email must include the subject on 
which the requestor 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 19, 2022, by 
9:45 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. 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 https://sites.ed.gov/naciqi/ within 90 days after the meeting. In addition, 
pursuant to FACA, the public may request to inspect records of the 
meeting at 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202, by emailing 
[email protected] or by calling (202) 453-7415 to schedule an 
appointment. The senior Department official's (as defined in 34 CFR 
602.3) decisions, pursuant to 34 CFR 602.36, associated with all NACIQI 
meetings can be found at the following website: https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/PublicDocuments.
    Reasonable Accommodations: The meeting dial-in information and 
weblink are 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 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 also may 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: Section 114 of the HEA of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 
1011c).

Annmarie Weisman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Innovation, Office 
of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2022-13033 Filed 6-16-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P