Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, State Agencies for the Approval of Public Postsecondary Vocational Education, and State Agencies for the Approval of Nurse Education [OPE]

FR Doc 05-14565
[Federal Register: July 25, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 141)]
[Notices]               
[Page 42540-42542]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 
Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, State Agencies for the 
Approval of Public Postsecondary Vocational Education, and State 
Agencies for the Approval of Nurse Education

AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity, Department of Education (The Advisory Committee).

What Is the Purpose of This Notice?

    The purpose of this notice is to invite written comments on 
accrediting agencies and State approval agencies whose applications to 
the Secretary for renewed recognition, requests for expansion of scope 
of recognition, or reports will be reviewed at the Advisory Committee 
meeting to be held on December 7-9, 2005, at the DoubleTree Hotel `` 
Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia.

Where Should I Submit My Comments?

    Please submit your written comments by mail, fax, or e-mail no 
later than August 24, 2005 to Ms. Robin Greathouse, Accreditation and 
State Liaison. You may contact her at the U.S. Department of Education, 
room 7105, MS 8509, 1990 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20006, 
telephone: (202) 219-7011, fax: (202) 219-7005, or e-mail: 
Robin.Greathouse@ed.gov. Individuals 
who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service at 1-800-877-8339.

What Is the Authority for the Advisory Committee?

    The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity is established under Section 114 of the Higher Education Act 
(HEA), as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1011c. One of the purposes of the Advisory 
Committee is to advise the Secretary of Education on the recognition of 
accrediting agencies and State approval agencies.

Will This Be My Only Opportunity to Submit Written Comments?

    Yes, this notice announces the only opportunity you will have to 
submit written comments. However, a subsequent Federal Register notice 
will announce the meeting and invite individuals and/or groups to 
submit requests to make oral presentations before the Advisory 
Committee on the agencies that the Committee will review. That notice, 
however, does not offer a second opportunity to submit written 
comments.

What Happens to the Comments That I Submit?

    We will review your comments, in response to this notice, as part 
of our evaluation of the agencies' compliance with Section 496 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and the Secretary's Criteria 
for Recognition of Accrediting Agencies and State Approval Agencies. 
The Criteria are regulations found in 34 CFR part 602 (for accrediting 
agencies) and in 34 CFR part 603 (for State approval agencies) and are 
found at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html
.

    We will also include your comments with the staff analyses we 
present to the Advisory Committee at its December 2005 meeting. 
Therefore, in order for us to give full consideration to your comments, 
it is important that we receive them by August 24, 2005. In all 
instances, your comments about agencies seeking continued recognition 
and/or an expansion of an agency's scope of recognition must relate to 
the Criteria for Recognition. In addition, your comments for any agency 
whose interim report or progress report is scheduled for review must 
relate to the issues raised and the Criteria for Recognition cited in 
the Secretary's letter that requested the interim report.

What Happens to Comments Received After the Deadline?

    We will review any comments received after the deadline. If such 
comments, upon investigation, reveal that the accrediting agency or 
State approval agency is not acting in accordance with the Criteria for 
Recognition, we will take action either before or after the meeting, as 
appropriate.

What Agencies Will the Advisory Committee Review at the Meeting?

    The Secretary of Education recognizes accrediting agencies and 
State approval agencies for public postsecondary vocational education 
and nurse education if the Secretary determines that they meet the 
Criteria for Recognition. Recognition means that the Secretary 
considers the agency to be a reliable authority as to the quality of 
education offered by institutions or programs it accredits that are 
encompassed within the scope of recognition she grants to the agency.
    The following agencies will be reviewed during the December 2005 
meeting of the Advisory Committee:

Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies

Petition for an Expansion of the Scope of Recognition

    1. Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of 
Technology (Current scope of recognition: The accreditation of private, 
postsecondary, non-degree-granting institutions and degree-granting 
institutions in the United States, including those granting associate 
and baccalaureate degrees, that are predominantly organized to educate 
students for occupational, trade and technical careers, and including 
institutions that offer programs via distance education.) (Requested 
scope of recognition: The accreditation of private, postsecondary, non-
degree-granting institutions and degree-granting institutions in the 
United States, including those granting associate, baccalaureate, and 
master's degrees, that are predominantly organized to educate students 
for occupational, trade and technical careers, and including 
institutions that offer programs via distance education.)

[[Page 42541]]

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine 
(Current scope of recognition: The accreditation throughout the United 
States of first-professional master's degree and professional master's 
level certificate and diploma programs in acupuncture and Oriental 
medicine, as well as freestanding institutions and colleges of 
acupuncture or Oriental medicine that offer such programs.) (Requested 
scope of recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation throughout 
the United States of first-professional Master's degree and 
professional Master's level certificate and diploma programs in 
acupuncture and Oriental medicine, as well as freestanding institutions 
and colleges of acupuncture or Oriental medicine that offer such 
programs.)
    2. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Commission 
on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (Current and 
requested scope of recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation 
(``Candidacy'') throughout the United States of clinical training 
programs in marriage and family therapy at the master's, doctoral, and 
postgraduate levels.)
    3. American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal 
Education and Admissions to the Bar (Current and requested scope of 
recognition: The accreditation throughout the United States of programs 
in legal education that lead to the first professional degree in law, 
as well as freestanding law schools offering such programs.)
    4. American Osteopathic Association, Commission on Osteopathic 
College Accreditation (Current and requested scope of recognition: The 
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Provisional Accreditation'') 
throughout the United States of freestanding, public and private non-
profit institutions of osteopathic medicine and programs leading to the 
degree of Doctor of Osteopathy or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.)
    5. American Podiatric Medical Association, Council on Podiatric 
Medical Education (Current and requested scope of recognition: The 
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate Status'') throughout 
the United States of freestanding colleges of podiatric medicine and 
programs of podiatric medicine, including first professional programs 
leading to the degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine.)
    6. Council on Occupational Education (Current scope of recognition: 
The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidacy status'') 
throughout the United States of non-degree granting postsecondary 
occupational/vocational institutions and those postsecondary 
occupational/vocational education institutions that have state 
authorization to grant the applied associate degree in specific 
vocational/occupational fields.) (Requested scope of recognition: The 
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidacy status'') throughout 
the United States of non-degree granting postsecondary occupational/
vocational institutions and those postsecondary occupational/vocational 
education institutions that have state authorization to grant the 
applied associate degree in specific vocational/occupational fields, 
including institutions that offer programs via distance education.)
    7. National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (Current 
and requested scope of recognition: The accreditation throughout the 
United States of professional education units providing baccalaureate 
and graduate degree programs for the preparation of teachers and other 
professional personnel for elementary and secondary schools.)
    8. New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on 
Technical and Career Institutions (Current and requested scope of 
recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate 
status'') of secondary institutions with vocational-technical programs 
at the 13th and 14th grade level, postsecondary institutions, and 
institutions of higher education that provide primarily vocational/
technical education at the certificate, associate, and baccalaureate 
degree levels in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, 
Rhode Island, and Vermont. This recognition extends to the Board of 
Trustees of the Association jointly with the Commission for decisions 
involving preaccreditation, initial accreditation, and adverse 
actions.)
    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 renewed 
recognition to the agency.)
    1. Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools.
    2. National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on 
Accreditation.
    3. National Association of Schools of Dance, Commission on 
Accreditation.
    4. National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on 
Accreditation, Commission on Non-Degree-Granting Accreditation, 
Commission on Community/Junior College Accreditation.
    5. National Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on 
Accreditation.
    6. North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School 
Improvement, Board of Trustees.
    7. North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher 
Learning Commission.
    8. New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on 
Institutions of Higher Education.
    9. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting 
Commission for Schools.
    Progress Report (A report describing the agency's implementation of 
its process for measuring success with respect to student achievement 
in the institutions that it accredits.)
    1. American Academy for Liberal Education.

State Agency Recognized for the Approval of Public Postsecondary 
Vocational Education

Interim Reports

    1. Pennsylvania State Board for Vocational Education, Bureau of 
Career and Technical Education.
    2. Oklahoma Board of Career and Technology Education

State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education

Interim Reports

    1. Montana State Board of Nursing.

Where Can I Inspect Petitions and Third-Party Comments Before and After 
the Meeting?

    All petitions and those third-party comments received in advance of 
the meeting, will be available for public inspection at the U.S. 
Department of Education, room 7105, MS 8509, 1990 K Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20006, telephone (202) 219-7011 between the hours of 8 
a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, until November 4, 2005. They 
will be available again after the December 7-9, 2005 Advisory Committee 
meeting. An appointment must be made in advance of such inspection.

How May I Obtain Electronic Access to This Document?

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.

    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free

[[Page 42542]]

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    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
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    Authority: 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2.

    Dated: July 9, 2005.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 05-14565 Filed 7-22-05; 8:45 am]

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