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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 159 (Wednesday, August 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51014-51016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20947]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 
Integrity, Office of Postsecondary Education; Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of December 14-16, 2011 open meeting of the National 
Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and an 
invitation to make third-party written comments concerning agencies 
scheduled for review.

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ADDRESSES: U. S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 8060, Washington, DC 20006.
SUMMARY: This meeting notice sets forth the agenda of the upcoming 
December 14-16, 2011 open meeting of the National Advisory Committee on 
Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) and informs the public of 
its opportunity to attend the meeting. It also invites the public to 
submit third-party written comments concerning agencies scheduled for 
review. The 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 of 1965 (HEA), as amended.
    Meeting Date and Place: The NACIQI meeting will be held on December 
14-16, 2011, at the Crowne Plaza Old Town Alexandria, 901 North 
Fairfax, Alexandria, Virginia, from 8:00 a.m., to approximately 5:30 
p.m., except for December 16, 2011, when it is anticipated that the 
meeting will end mid-afternoon.
    NACIQI's Statutory Authority and Function: The NACIQI is 
established under Section 114 of the HEA, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1011c. 
The NACIQI advises the Secretary of Education about:

    The establishment and enforcement of the Criteria for 
Recognition of accrediting agencies or associations under Subpart 2, 
Part H, Title IV, HEA, as amended;
    The recognition of specific accrediting agencies or 
associations, or a specific State approval agency;

[[Page 51015]]

    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;
    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 may prescribe.

    Agenda: The December 14-16, 2011 NACIQI meeting will consist of two 
different parts. The first part of the meeting will involve the review 
of specific accrediting agencies, State agencies for the approval of 
nursing education, and State agencies for the approval of public 
postsecondary vocational education. The second part will involve review 
of the report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education 
containing the NACIQI's recommendations concerning the reauthorization 
of the HEA.
    Below is a list of agencies scheduled for review during the 
December 14-16 NACIQI meeting.

Petition for Initial Recognition

State Approval Agency for Nursing Education

    1. Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, Board of Trustees 
of State Institutions of Higher Education.

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition

Accrediting Agencies

    1. American Podiatric Medical Association, Council on Podiatric 
Medical Education.
    2. The Council on Chiropractic Education, Commission on 
Accreditation.
    3. Commission on English Language Program Accreditation.
    4. Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology.
    5. North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School 
Improvement, Board of Trustees.

State Approval Agencies for Nursing Education

    1. Kansas State Board of Nursing.
    2. Maryland State Board of Nursing.
    3. New York State Board of Regents, State Education Department, 
Office of the Professions (Nursing Education).

State Approval Agencies for Postsecondary Education Vocational 
Education

    1. New York State Board of Regents, State Education Department, 
Office of the Professions (Public Postsecondary Vocational Education, 
Practical Nursing).
    2. Pennsylvania State Board for Vocational Education, Bureau of 
Career and Technology Education.

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition and Expansion of Scope To Include 
Distance Education

Accrediting Agency

    1. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Commission 
on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education.

State Approval Agency for Postsecondary Education Vocational Education

    1. Oklahoma Board of Career and Technology Education.

Compliance Reports

Accrediting Agencies

    1. American Optometric Education, Accreditation Council on 
Optometric Education.
    2. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting 
Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
    Submission of Written Comments Concerning Agencies Scheduled for 
Review: Submit your written comments by e-mail, no later than thirty 
days after the date of publication, to the Accreditation Group Records 
Manager at [email protected], with the subject line ``Written 
Comments re (agency name).'' Do not send material directly to NACIQI 
members.
    In all instances, your comments about an agency's initial 
recognition or the renewal of recognition must relate to whether the 
agency meets the Criteria for Recognition. In addition, your comments 
for any agency whose compliance 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 report. Third parties having 
concerns about agencies regarding matters outside the scope of the 
petition should report those concerns to Department staff.
    Only material submitted by the deadline to the e-mail address 
listed in this notice, and in accordance with these instructions, 
become part of the official record concerning agencies scheduled for 
review and are considered by the Department and the NACIQI in their 
deliberations.
    This notice announces the only opportunity you will have to submit 
written comments concerning the agencies scheduled for this meeting. 
There will be another Federal Register notice concerning the 
opportunity to make written comments about the NACIQI's report to the 
Secretary concerning recommendations on the reauthorization of the HEA.
    Requests to Make Oral Comments: There will be another notice that 
will invite the public to submit requests to make oral presentations 
before the NACIQI concerning the agencies scheduled for review. That 
notice will explain the methods the public may use to request to make 
oral presentations and provide the instructions for each method. A 
separate Federal Register notice will invite the public to make oral 
presentations concerning the NACIQI's report on the reauthorization of 
the HEA.
    Access to Records of the Meeting: The Department will record the 
meeting and post the official report of the meeting on the NACIQI Web 
site. Pursuant to the FACA, the public may also inspect the materials 
at 1990 K Street, NW., Washington, DC, by e-mailing 
[email protected], or by calling 202-219-7067 to schedule an 
appointment.
    Reasonable Accommodations: Individuals who will need accommodations 
for a disability in order to attend the December 14-16, 2011 meeting 
(i.e., interpreter services, assistive listening devices, and/or 
materials in alternative format) should contact Department staff at 
202-219-7011; or, e-mail [email protected], no later than 
November 17, 2011. We will attempt to meet requests after this date, 
but we cannot guarantee the availability of the requested 
accommodation. The meeting site will be accessible.
    For Additional Information: Contact Melissa Lewis, NACIQI Executive 
Director, U.S. Department of Education, Room 8060, 1990 K Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20006; telephone: 202-219-7009; e-mail: 
[email protected]. Individuals who use a telecommunications device 
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-
800-877-8339 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, 
Monday through Friday.
    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 and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: http://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,

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you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at http://www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

Eduardo M. Ochoa,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-20947 Filed 8-16-11; 8:45 am]
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