[Federal Register: October 13, 1995 (Volume 60, Number 198)] [Notices] [Page 53345-53347] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity; Meeting AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, Education. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the proposed agenda of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. Notice of this meeting is required under section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. This document is intended to notify the general public of its opportunity to attend this public meeting. DATES AND TIMES: November 28-30, 1995, 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. ADDRESS: The Latham Hotel, 3000 M Street NW., Washington, D.C. 20007. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol F. Sperry, Executive Director, National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue SW., Room 3905, ROB 3, Washington, DC. 20202-7592, telephone: (202) 260-3636. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity is established under Section 1205 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) as amended by Public Law 102-325 (20 U.S.C. 1145). The Committee advises the Secretary of Education with respect to the establishment and enforcement of the standards of accrediting agencies or associations under subpart 2 of part H of Title IV, HEA, the recognition of a 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, HEA, and the functions of the Secretary under subpart 1 of part H of Title IV, HEA, relating to the State Postsecondary Review Program. The Committee also develops and recommends to the Secretary standards and criteria for specific categories of vocational training institutions and institutions of higher education for which there are no recognized accrediting agencies, associations, or State agencies, in order to establish eligibility for such institutions on an interim basis for participation in federally funded programs. AGENDA: The meeting on November 28-30, 1995 is open to the public. The Advisory Committee will review petitions of accrediting and State approval agencies relative to initial or continued recognition by the Secretary of Education. It also will review three agencies that were previously reviewed by the Advisory Committee and have appealed the Advisory Committee's recommendations concerning their recognition status, as provided for in 34 CFR 602.13 of the regulations governing the recognition of accrediting agencies. In each of the three cases, the Secretary decided to remand the case to the Advisory Committee for review. In all cases before the Committee, both those petitioning for recognition and those appealing the Advisory Committee's recommendations, the Committee will hear presentations by any representatives who are present from the agency and any third parties who have requested to be heard. The following petitions are scheduled for review: Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies and Associations Petition for Initial Recognition-- 1. National Association of Private, Nontraditional Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Higher Education (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation, on a national basis, of private, nontraditional colleges and schools) Petitions for Renewal of Recognition-- 1. Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of private, postsecondary institutions and programs offering allied health education, including those programs offering the Associate of Applied Science and/or the Associate of Occupational Science degrees) 2. Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of private, postsecondary degree and non-degree- granting institutions that are predominantly organized to educate students for trade, occupational, or technical careers) 3. Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of [[Page 53346]] private, postsecondary schools, junior colleges, senior colleges [including those that offer master's degrees programs], and freestanding graduate institutions that are predominantly organized to educate students for business careers; also the preaccreditation of those same colleges and graduate institutions) 4. American College of Nurse-Midwives, Division of Accreditation (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, and preaccreditation, on a national basis, of basic certificate and graduate nurse-midwifery education programs for Registered Nurses, pre- certification nurse-midwifery education programs, and basic midwifery education programs for the non-nurse) 5. American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, and preaccreditation, on a national basis, of professional degree programs in pharmacy leading to the degrees of Baccalaureate in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy) 6. American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of predoctoral dental education programs, programs leading to the DDS of DMD degree, dental auxiliary education programs (dental assisting, dental hygiene and dental laboratory technology), and advanced dental education and specialty programs) 7. American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of professional occupational therapy education programs and occupational therapy assistant education programs) 8. Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiology Technology [formerly recognized in cooperation with the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association but now requesting recognition on its own] (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of educational programs for radiographers and radiation therapy technologists) 9. Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology [formerly recognized in cooperation with the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association but now requesting recognition on its own] (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of postsecondary educational programs for the nuclear medicine technologist) 10. National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of postsecondary schools and departments of cosmetology arts and sciences) 11. National League for Nursing, Inc. (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation, on a national basis, of programs in practical nursing and diploma, associated, baccalaureate and higher degree nurse education programs) 12. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation of degree- granting colleges and universities located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) 13. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (requested scope of recognition: the accreditation of senior colleges and universities located in California, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Public Postsecondary Vocational Education Petition for Renewal of Recognition-- 1. Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Interim Report (An interim report is a follow-up report on an accrediting agency's compliance with specific criteria for recognition that was requested by the Secretary when the Secretary granted recognition to the agency)-- 1. Arkansas State Board of Vocational Education State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education Petition for Renewal of Recognition-- 1. Colorado Board of Nursing Appeal of a Recommendation to Withdraw Recognition The agencies listed below were recommended for withdrawal of recognition by the Advisory Committee at its June 1994 meeting because, in the opinion of the Advisory Committee, they did not meet the requirement contained in section 496(m) of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended, and 34 CFR 602.1(b) of the Secretary's Criteria for Recognition. Under 34 CFR 602.1(b), ``the Secretary grants recognition to those accrediting agencies that accredit (1) institutions of higher education, provided that accreditation by the agency is a required element in enabling those institutions to establish eligibility to participate in HEA programs; or (ii) institutions of higher education or higher education programs, provided that accreditation by the agency is a required element in enabling those institutions or programs to establish eligibility to participate in other programs administered by the Department or by other Federal agencies.'' 1. American Library Association, Committee on Accreditation 2. Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs Appeal of a Recommendation to Deny an Agency's Requested Expansion of Scope For the agency listed below, the Advisory Committee, at its May 1995 meeting, recommended granting continued recognition for the accreditation and pre-accreditation of non-degree granting vocational education institutions. It also recommended granting the agency's request for an expansion of geographical scope of recognition from regional to national. The Advisory Committee, however, recommended not granting the agency's requested expansion of scope to include prebaccalaureate degree-granting institutions that awarded an applied associate's degree. In the Committee's view, the agency did not have the requisite experience to accredit such institutions, as required by 34 CFR 602.22, nor did it have an appropriate emphasis on the ``academic'' component of a prebaccalaureate degree, as required by 34 CFR 602.24(b)(1)(iii). The agency appealed the latter recommendation of the Advisory Committee. 1. Council on Occupational Education (formerly the Commission on Occupational Education Institutions of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) A request for comments on agencies whose petitions are being reviewed for initial or continued recognition during this meeting was published in the Federal Register on June 20, 1995. The request for comments on the agencies appealing previous recommendations of the Advisory Committee was published in the Federal Register on August 28, 1995. This notice invites third-party oral presentations before the Advisory Committee. It does not constitute another call for written comment. Requests for oral presentation before the Advisory Committee should be submitted in writing to Ms. Sperry at the address above by November 3, 1995. [[Page 53347]] Requests should include the names of all persons seeking an appearance, the organization they represent, and a brief summary of the principal points to be made during the oral presentation. Presenters are requested not to distribute written materials at the meeting. Any written materials presenters may wish to give to the Advisory Committee must be submitted to Ms. Sperry by November 3, 1995 (one original and 25 copies). Only documents presenters submit by that date will be considered by the Advisory Committee. At the conclusion of the meeting, attendees may, at the discretion of the Committee chair, be invited to address the Committee, as identified in the section above on Supplementary Information. Attendees interested in making such comments should inform Ms. Sperry before or during the meeting. A record will be made of the proceedings of the meeting and will be available for public inspection at the Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 7th and D Streets, SW, room 3905, ROB 3, Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Authority: 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2 David A. Longanecker, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. [FR Doc. 95-25359 Filed 10-12-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-M