FEDERAL POLICY GOVERNING THE GRANTING OF ACADEMIC

DEGREES BY FEDERAL AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS

(ApprovedDecember23, 1964: Letterfrom Director,

Bureauof the Budget,to Secretary,Health,Education,and Welfare)

the need for the authority to grant graduate degrees is

established and there is a clear determination that the need

for the graduate degrees cannot be adequately met by

institutions set up under the authority of the variousStates,

Territories, or the District of Columbia.Before any Federal

agency is authorized to grant graduatedegrees,there should

be a thorough exploration, by the Department of Health,

Education, and Welfare, of the possibility of having the

program operated and/or the graduate degree granted

through the facilitiesof existingeducational institutions. For

the purpose of such exploration, the servicesof the DeparLment of Health, Education, and Welfarewill be available,on

request, to the agency concerned or to the Bureau of the

Budget. In order to regularizethe matter, each such request

would be referred by this Department to the Commissioner

of Education who, to assisthim in reachingconclusionsand

makingrecorT,mendationsto the Secretary,would convenean

impartial group of representative educators appointed by

him, after consultation with the appropriate professional

associations, to consider the relevant evidence and make

recommendationsto him in accordancewith the procedure

outlined below. This procedure could be formalized in an

executiveorder or otherwise.

Inltill Assumptions

,. 1. It Is recognizedand granted that Federal agenciesmay

properly establish and operate personneltraining programsas

needed to improve the effectivenessof the performance of

their assignedfunctions.

2. Because penonnel of Federal agencies may need advanced education in order to develop specialized competencies of vital importance to the agenciesconcerned, each

agency should be empowered and authorized, when necessary, to send personnelto institutionsof higher education for

such necessarypreparation.

UndirgredU8t8 Degree P,IWIrA1D8

\ 3. The pattern of undergraduate training is well establishedin certain of the existingeducational institutions of the

Federal Government, such as at West Point and Annapolis.

Any new institution created by the FederalGovernmentwith

authority to grant undergraduate degrees should, like the

above mentioned Institutions, be accredited by the appro.

priate accrediting agency if the bachelor's degree is to be

granted. The Commissionerof Ectucationshould be assigned

responsibility for determining the appropriate accrediting

agency for each Federal installation that maintains an

undergraduatedegreeprogram.

G,eduate Degree Programs

4. No Federal agency should be empowered to grant a

graduate degree for any educational program, except where

Procedure ,

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5. In order to give effect to the policies outlined above

with respect to the authorizationof Federalagenciesto grant

graduate degrees, the Commissionerof Education would be

authorized and directed to establisha ReviewCommittee to

advisehimconcerningrecommendationsto be made concern.

ing any legislation that may be proposed which would
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authorize the granting of gradu8te degrees by Federal

agencies.

6. It Is proposed th8t the ReviewCommittee consist of

three continuing members,each to servefor a period of three

years, plus six additional members to serve on an ad hoc

basil-811to be eppointed by the Commissionerof Education

8fter consultation with the appropriate professionalassociations. I.

7. The prlnclpelfunctions of the ReviewCommittee

wouldbe:

(8) to receive end review evidence submitted by the

epplying egency that the following criteria have

beenmet:

(1) thet the conferring of the authority to grant

the gr8duate degree in question is.essentialto

the accomplishmentof the programobjectives

of the applyingagency.

(2) thlt the gradulte progrem in question 8nd/or

the graduate degreesproposed cannot be obtained on satisfactory terms through the facilities of existing non-Federal institutions of

hi~er education.

(3) that the gradulte program conducted by the

applying agency meets the standards for the

degree or degreesIn questionwhich are met by

similarprogramsIn non-Federalinstitutions of

highereducation.

(4) that the administration of the graduate program concerned Is such that the faculty and

students be free to conduct their research

activities as objectively, as freely, and in as

unbiased a manner as that found in other

non.Federal institutions of higher education.

The existence of an advisory committee of

educators from regularly-constituted institutions shall be regardedas some eviden. of the

safeguardingof freedomof inquiry. ACcreditation by an appropriate accrediting body, if

such exists, shall be regarded as another safeguard.

(b) on the basisof evidenceobtained pertainingto

the items listed under 7(a) above, to make a

report, including its recommendations as to

whether the power to grant graduate ,Jegrees

should be authorized to the applying agency.

8. The Commissioner would, together with his own

recommendations, transmit the report of the ReviewCommittee to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welf8re.

The Secretary would, after consideration of the Commissioner's recommendations and the ReviewCommittee's report, make recommendationsto the requesting agency and

the Bureau of the Budget, and transmit with such recommendationsthe report of the ReviewCommittee.

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