[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5517-5520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01683]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Meeting

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

ACTION: Announcement of an open meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the agenda, time, and instructions to 
access or participate in the February 27-28, 2024, hybrid meeting of 
NACIQI, and provides information to members of the public regarding the 
meeting, including requesting to make written or oral comments. 
Committee members will meet in-person while accrediting agency 
representatives and members of the public will participate virtually. 
The notice of this meeting is required under section 1009(a)(2) of 5 
U.S.C. chapter 10 (Federal Advisory Committees) and section 
114(d)(1)(B) of the Higher

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Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).

ADDRESSES: Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building, 
Barnard Auditorium, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202 [Only 
NACIQI members and Department of Education staff will participate in 
the meeting at this address].

DATES: The hybrid NACIQI meeting will be held on February 27-28, 2024, 
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Alan Smith, Executive Director/
Designated Federal Official (DFO), NACIQI, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 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, 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 functions relating to accreditation and 
institutional eligibility that the Secretary of Education may prescribe 
by regulation.

Meeting Agenda

    The purpose of the meeting is to conduct a review of the following 
applications for renewal of recognition, compliance reports, and 
requests for expansion of scope.

Applications for Renewal of Recognition

    1. The Kansas State Board of Nursing. Scope of Recognition: state 
agency for the approval of nurse education.
    2. The Missouri State Board of Nursing. Scope of Recognition: state 
agency for the approval of nurse education.
    3. The Oklahoma Board of Career and Technology Education. 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 for Higher Education, 
including the approval of public postsecondary vocational education 
offered via distance education.
    4. New York State Board of Regents (Public Postsecondary Vocational 
Ed, 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.
    5. The Pennsylvania State Board of Career and Technical Education. 
Scope of Recognition: state agency for the approval of public 
postsecondary vocational education.
Compliance Reports
    1. Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine 
(ACAHM). Scope of recognition: the accreditation and pre-accreditation 
(``Candidacy'') of professional non-degree and graduate degree 
programs, including professional doctoral programs, in the field of 
acupuncture and/or Oriental medicine, as well as freestanding 
institutions and colleges of acupuncture and/or Oriental medicine that 
offer such programs, including programs offered via distance education. 
Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: throughout the United 
States. Please note, this accrediting agency changed its name from 
``Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine 
(ACAOM)'' effective September 8, 2021.
    The compliance report must address findings of noncompliance with 
34 CFR part 602, as referenced in the senior Department official's 
(SDO) decision letter dated October 27, 2021. The SDO also required 
that the Department staff's 34 CFR 602.33 inquiry findings concerning 
the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation case study on Sex Trafficking and 
State Authorized Massage Schools, which involved an ACAHM accredited 
institution, be produced as part of the ACAHM compliance report. The 
SDO decision letter may be found under NACIQI meeting date July 27, 
2021, available at: https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents.
    2. Council on Occupational Education. Scope of recognition: the 
accreditation and pre-accreditation (``Candidacy Status'') of 
postsecondary occupational education institutions offering non-degree 
and applied associate degree programs in specific career and technical 
education fields, including institutions that offer programs via 
distance education. Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: 
throughout the United States.
    The compliance report must address findings of noncompliance with 
34 CFR part 602, as referenced in the SDO decision letter dated October 
27, 2021. The SDO decision letter may be found under NACIQI meeting 
date July 27, 2021, available at: https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents.
    3. Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, 
Accreditation Commission. Scope of Recognition: the accreditation and 
pre-accreditation (``Candidate'' status) of Christian postsecondary 
institutions that offer certificates, diplomas, and associate, 
baccalaureate, and graduate degrees, including institutions that offer 
distance education. Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: 
throughout the United States. The compliance report must address 
findings of noncompliance with 34 CFR part 602, as referenced in the 
SDO decision letter dated October 27, 2021. The SDO decision letter may 
be found under NACIQI meeting date July 27, 2021, available at: https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents.
Expansion of Scope
    1. National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training 
Consortium. Scope of Recognition: the accreditation of nurse 
practitioner (NP) postgraduate residency and fellowship training 
programs. This recognition also extends to the agency's Appeals Panel. 
Requested Scope: the accreditation of joint nurse practitioner/
physician assistant postgraduate residency and fellowship training 
programs. This recognition also extends to the agency's Appeals Panel.

Accreditor Dashboards

    Agency representatives should be prepared to respond to possible 
questions from committee members about their respective agency's 
dashboards, which are located on the NACIQI website: https://sites.ed.gov/naciqi/.

Agency Opening Statements

    To ensure sufficient time for all agency reviews, including NACIQI 
questions and discussion, the Department requests that the agencies

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limit their opening statements to 10 minutes (total for one or more 
statements), and that the agencies avoid extended discussions about 
agency representatives and their backgrounds. Following the brief 
opening statement, the agency's presentation should focus on the 
regulatory criteria, and in particular, responses to areas where the 
staff has recommended a finding of noncompliance or substantial 
compliance, or where other concerns have been raised that the agency 
would like to address. However, the agency should expect that questions 
from NACIQI members may focus on other areas.

Administration Policy Update

    A representative of the Administration will discuss higher 
education policy priorities.

Accreditor Dashboards Subcommittee Report

    The subcommittee will report on information it received from 
interviews conducted with institutional accreditors.

Policy Discussion

    In addition to its review of accrediting agencies and State 
approval agencies for Secretarial recognition, there will be time for 
Committee discussions relevant to any of the functions within NACIQI's 
statutory authority.

Instructions To Access or Participate in the Meeting Registration

    Accrediting agency representatives and members of the public can 
access or participate in the meeting virtually. 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.

Registration Link

    https://cvent.me/lMYY3g.

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:
    The opportunity to submit a written statement regarding a specific 
accrediting agency under review was solicited by a previous Federal 
Register notice published on November 14, 2022 (87 FR 68144; Document 
Number 2022-24637). The period for submission of such statements is now 
closed. Additional written statements regarding a specific accrediting 
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, as 
outlined under Section 114 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1011c), in the manner 
described below.
    Members of the public may make oral comments regarding a specific 
accrediting agency under review and/or 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 SDO or the Secretary must relate to the criteria 
for recognition cited in the SDO'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 matters within the scope of NACIQI's authority, as outlined under 
Section 114 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1011c), and written statements of any 
kind submitted after the deadline will not be considered by the 
Department or provided to NACIQI for purposes of the current cycle 
review.

Instructions on Requesting To Make Public Comment

    To make oral comments of three minutes or less during the meeting, 
please follow either Method One or Method Two below. To submit a 
written statement concerning NACIQI's work outside a specific 
accrediting agency under review, please follow Method One.
    Method One: Send an email to the [email protected] mailbox 
no later than February 20, 2024. Please do not send material directly 
to NACIQI members. Emails submitting written statements must include 
the subject line ``Written Statement: (subject)'' and emails requesting 
to make oral comment must include the subject line ``Oral Comment 
Request: (agency name),'' ``Oral Comment Request: (subject).'' Emails 
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 a request to make oral comment in accordance with Method One 
will be afforded an opportunity to speak.
    Method Two (Only available to those seeking to make oral comments): 
Submit a request by email on February 27, 2024, between 7:45 a.m.-8:45 
a.m. Eastern Standard Time to the [email protected] mailbox. 
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. If 
you intend to make your comments by dialing into the meeting rather 
than using a computer, please be sure to include that information in 
your email request. A total of up to fifteen minutes for each agenda 
item will be allotted for oral commenters who submit a request in 
accordance with Method Two. 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/archive-of-meetings/ within 90 days after the 
meeting. In addition, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 1009(b), 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) 453-7415 to schedule an appointment. The SDO'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/#/public-documents.
    Reasonable Accommodations: The dial-in information and weblink 
access to the meeting 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 the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register

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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 the 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 1964, as amended (20 U.S.C. 
1011c).

Antoinette Flores,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Innovation, Office 
of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2024-01683 Filed 1-26-24; 8:45 am]
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