Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Secondary School Student Sponsor On-Site Reviews, 5637-5638 [2010-2266]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 3, 2010 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 6891]
Culturally Significant Objects Imported
for Exhibition Determinations:
‘‘Architecture as Icon: Perception and
Representation of Architecture in
Byzantine Art’’
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the
following determinations: Pursuant to
the authority vested in me by the Act of
October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C.
2459), Executive Order 12047 of March
27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and
Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat.
2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et
seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of
October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority
No. 236 of October 19, 1999, as
amended, and Delegation of Authority
No. 257 of April 15, 2003 [68 FR 19875],
I hereby determine that the objects to be
included in the exhibition ‘‘Architecture
as Icon: Perception and Representation
of Architecture in Byzantine Art,’’
imported from abroad for temporary
exhibition within the United States, are
of cultural significance. The objects are
imported pursuant to loan agreements
with the foreign owners or custodians.
I also determine that the exhibition or
display of the exhibit objects at the
Princeton University Art Museum,
Princeton, NJ, from on or about March
6, 2010, until on or about June 6, 2010,
and at possible additional exhibitions or
venues yet to be determined, is in the
national interest. Public Notice of these
Determinations is ordered to be
published in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information, including a list of
the exhibit objects, contact Carol B.
Epstein, Attorney-Adviser, Office of the
Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State
(telephone: 202/632–6473). The address
is U.S. Department of State, SA–5, L/PD,
Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20522–
0505.
Dated: January 27, 2010.
Maura M. Pally,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional
and Cultural Exchanges, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department
of State.
[FR Doc. 2010–2274 Filed 2–2–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice: 6890]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs; Secondary School Student
Sponsor On-Site Reviews
ACTION:
Notice.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:34 Feb 02, 2010
Jkt 220001
SUMMARY: The Department has
designated United States organizations
to conduct Secondary School Student
exchange programs since 1949,
following passage of the United States
Information and Educational Exchange
Act of 1948 and adoption of 22 CFR part
62—Exchange Visitor Program
regulations (14 FR 4592, July 22, 1949).
Over the last 60 years, more than
850,000 foreign exchange students have
lived in and learned about America
through these Secondary School
Student programs. Educational and
cultural exchanges are the cornerstone
of U.S. public diplomacy and an integral
component of American foreign policy.
Secondary School Student exchange
programs promote mutual
understanding by providing foreign
students the opportunity to study in
American high schools while living
with American host families. Not only
are the students themselves positively
transformed and enriched by these
experiences, but so too are their
families, friends, and teachers in their
home countries.
Globalization and the changing
demographics of potential American
host families, however, are having an
impact on the traditional Secondary
School Student exchange model. As a
result, the Department has taken steps
over the past several years to clarify and
amend existing regulations; identify
program issues that require further
attention; cap program growth; more
closely monitor sponsor performance;
evaluate sponsor compliance; and,
when necessary, impose administrative
sanctions up to an including the
revocation of the sponsor’s program
designation. In addition to these efforts,
the Department has determined that a
comprehensive review of each
individual designated sponsor
organization and its business practices
is necessary to assist the Department in
meeting both its policy objectives and
oversight obligations for this category of
exchange. The review of individual
designated sponsors is conducted under
the Department’s regulatory authorities
set forth at 22 CFR part 62.
Initially, the Department will conduct
on-site reviews of all fee charging
program sponsors. Excluded from this
first round of review are all Rotary
programs, schools, school districts, and
government programs. Following the
first round of on-site reviews, the
Department will determine whether to
conduct on-site reviews of some or all
of the remaining non-fee-charging
sponsors, or if a comparable review of
these programs can be conducted
through some alternative method.
PO 00000
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5637
The Department intends to examine a
broad range of sponsor operations. The
process will encompass in-depth
financial review; examination of
program pricing structures; appraisal of
organizational operating models; review
of hiring criteria and training policies
for program employees and agents;
evaluation of third party contractor
relationships; and standard operating
procedures, especially those related to
the screening and selection of host
families and the repatriation of program
participants. Other areas of review will
include, but are not limited to, decisionmaking processes (including the
numbers of students accepted); selfimposed compliance mechanisms;
procedures for handling student
problems; standards for the selection of
housing with host families; and policies
for refunding deposits or payments
when applicants cannot participate due
to visa denial or sponsor inability to
secure a placement. The Department
will also examine the relationships
between sponsors and third parties,
including foreign partners. In the case of
foreign partners, the Department will
review their role in the overall
placement process and the fees they
charge for their services. The
Department will scrutinize all
contractual relationships under which
designated sponsors outsource ‘‘core’’
services, i.e., the screening, selection,
placement, orientation, and monitoring
functions that constitute the core
elements of international exchange
programming.
It is the Department’s intention that
the burden of these reviews on sponsors
will be minimal. Most document
production will precede the on-site
reviews and will involve standard and
already existing business documents.
The on-site portion of the review will
entail interviews with key employees
and review of files, but may also involve
other follow-on areas of inquiry.
Sponsors will be given at least ten
business days’ notice of the on-site
review at which time they will be asked
to submit required documentation
within five business days. The
Department will try to be flexible with
scheduling of reviews to ensure the
availability of the sponsor’s responsible
officer, alternate responsible officer(s),
and other key employees who will need
to be interviewed. Many of the reviews
will be completed in two business days
by two-person teams of Department
employees from the Office of
Designation and the Office of Exchange
Coordination and Compliance.
Individual circumstances, however, may
result in the Department bringing
additional staff or extending the length
E:\FR\FM\03FEN1.SGM
03FEN1
5638
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 3, 2010 / Notices
of the review. In addition, a
representative from both the
Department’s Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs Grants Office and Youth
Programs Division will join the review
teams for those sponsors that place
secondary school students under the
terms of grant awards.
These reviews will not replace the
redesignation process nor alter the
requirements that sponsors submit
applications for redesignation prior to
the expiration of their current
designations. Nor will the reviews take
the place of the annual data reports
required by regulation. Following the
reviews, the Department will compile
and share best practices and lessons
learned with the exchange community.
The Department recognizes it may also
find operations that require the
imposition of corrective action plans, or
it may find that some entities no longer
meet the eligibility requirements
necessary to retain their designations.
The Department believes that these
reviews will provide an opportunity for
continued growth of the partnership
between the Department and program
sponsors necessary and that the reviews
will further our shared goal of ensuring
that these young and potentially
vulnerable exchange program
participants all return to their countries
with fond and meaningful memories of
their successful exchange adventure in
the United States of America.
Dated: January 28, 2010.
Stanley S. Colvin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector
Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2010–2266 Filed 2–2–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA–2009–0019 (Notice
No. 09–7)]
Information Collection Activities
jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of information collection
approval.
This notice announces OMB approval
and extension until November 30, 2012,
for the following ICR: OMB Control No.
2137–0613, ‘‘Subsidiary Hazard Class
and Number/Type of Packagings.’’
This notice announces OMB approval
and extension until January 31, 2013 for
the following ICR: OMB Control No.
2137–0510, ‘‘Radioactive (RAM)
Transportation Requirements.’’
Issued in Washington, DC, on January 29,
2010.
Edward T. Mazzullo,
Director, Office of Hazardous Materials
Standards.
The expiration dates for these
ICRs are either September 30, 2012,
November 30, 2012, or January 31, 2013
as indicated under the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this notice.
Federal Railroad Administration
DATE:
Requests for a copy of an
information collection should be
directed to Deborah Boothe or Steven
Andrews, Office of Hazardous Materials
Standards (PHH–10), Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590–
0001.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Deborah Boothe or Steven Andrew,
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
(PHH–10), Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington,
DC 20590–0001, Telephone (202) 366–
8553.
Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
regulations (5 CFR part 1320)
implementing provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.
L. 104–13) require that interested
members of the public and affected
agencies have an opportunity to
comment on information collection and
recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR
1320.8(s)) and specify that no person is
required to respond to an information
collection unless it displays a valid
OMB control number. In accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, PHMSA has received OMB
approval for renewal of the following
ICRs:
OMB Control Number: 2137–0051.
Title: ‘‘Rulemaking, Special Permits,
and Preemption Requirements.’’
Expiration Date: September 30, 2012.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 2137–0613.
Title: ‘‘Subsidiary Hazard Class and
Number/Type of Packagings.’’
Expiration Date: November 30, 2012.
SUMMARY: This notice announces Office
of Management and Budget (OMB)
approval and extension until September
OMB Control Number: 2137–0510.
30, 2012, for the following information
Title: ‘‘Radioactive (RAM)
collection request (ICR): OMB Control
Transportation Requirements.’’
No. 2137–0051, ‘‘Rulemaking, Special
Permits, and Preemption Requirements.’’
Expiration Date: January 31, 2013.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:34 Feb 02, 2010
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[FR Doc. 2010–2306 Filed 2–2–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–60–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Notice of Application for Approval of
Discontinuance or Modification of a
Railroad Signal System or Relief From
the Requirements of Title 49 Code of
Federal Regulations Part 236
Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) Part 235 and 49
U.S.C. 20502(a), the following railroad
has petitioned the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) seeking approval
for the discontinuance or modification
of the signal system or relief from the
requirements of 49 CFR part 236, as
detailed below.
Grenada Railway, LLC
[Docket Number FRA–2009–0122]
The Grenada Railway, LCC (GRYR)
seeks approval of the proposed
discontinuance and removal of the
Automatic Block Signal System (ABS)
on the entire railroad line between, but
not including, the point of ownership at
the Tennessee State Line, milepost (MP)
403.3 (Canadian National connection)
to, but not including, the point of
ownership at MP 703.8, near Davis,
Mississippi (Canadian National
connection). A northbound operative
approach signal will be installed at MP
404.0 and a southbound operative
approach signal will be installed at MP
702.8.
The reason given for the proposed
changes is that the ABS is no longer
needed in the current or foreseeable
future operations of GRYR. There are
substantial costs in maintaining the
ABS. GRYR will operate under Rule
520, Other Than Main Track.
Any interested party desiring to
protest the granting of an application
shall set forth specifically the grounds
upon which the protest is made, and
include a concise statement of the
interest of the party in the proceeding.
Additionally, one copy of the protest
shall be furnished to the applicant at the
address listed above.
FRA expects to be able to determine
these matters without an oral hearing.
However, if a specific request for an oral
hearing is accompanied by a showing
that the party is unable to adequately
present his or her position by written
E:\FR\FM\03FEN1.SGM
03FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 3, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5637-5638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2266]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice: 6890]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Secondary School
Student Sponsor On-Site Reviews
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department has designated United States organizations to
conduct Secondary School Student exchange programs since 1949,
following passage of the United States Information and Educational
Exchange Act of 1948 and adoption of 22 CFR part 62--Exchange Visitor
Program regulations (14 FR 4592, July 22, 1949). Over the last 60
years, more than 850,000 foreign exchange students have lived in and
learned about America through these Secondary School Student programs.
Educational and cultural exchanges are the cornerstone of U.S. public
diplomacy and an integral component of American foreign policy.
Secondary School Student exchange programs promote mutual understanding
by providing foreign students the opportunity to study in American high
schools while living with American host families. Not only are the
students themselves positively transformed and enriched by these
experiences, but so too are their families, friends, and teachers in
their home countries.
Globalization and the changing demographics of potential American
host families, however, are having an impact on the traditional
Secondary School Student exchange model. As a result, the Department
has taken steps over the past several years to clarify and amend
existing regulations; identify program issues that require further
attention; cap program growth; more closely monitor sponsor
performance; evaluate sponsor compliance; and, when necessary, impose
administrative sanctions up to an including the revocation of the
sponsor's program designation. In addition to these efforts, the
Department has determined that a comprehensive review of each
individual designated sponsor organization and its business practices
is necessary to assist the Department in meeting both its policy
objectives and oversight obligations for this category of exchange. The
review of individual designated sponsors is conducted under the
Department's regulatory authorities set forth at 22 CFR part 62.
Initially, the Department will conduct on-site reviews of all fee
charging program sponsors. Excluded from this first round of review are
all Rotary programs, schools, school districts, and government
programs. Following the first round of on-site reviews, the Department
will determine whether to conduct on-site reviews of some or all of the
remaining non-fee-charging sponsors, or if a comparable review of these
programs can be conducted through some alternative method.
The Department intends to examine a broad range of sponsor
operations. The process will encompass in-depth financial review;
examination of program pricing structures; appraisal of organizational
operating models; review of hiring criteria and training policies for
program employees and agents; evaluation of third party contractor
relationships; and standard operating procedures, especially those
related to the screening and selection of host families and the
repatriation of program participants. Other areas of review will
include, but are not limited to, decision-making processes (including
the numbers of students accepted); self-imposed compliance mechanisms;
procedures for handling student problems; standards for the selection
of housing with host families; and policies for refunding deposits or
payments when applicants cannot participate due to visa denial or
sponsor inability to secure a placement. The Department will also
examine the relationships between sponsors and third parties, including
foreign partners. In the case of foreign partners, the Department will
review their role in the overall placement process and the fees they
charge for their services. The Department will scrutinize all
contractual relationships under which designated sponsors outsource
``core'' services, i.e., the screening, selection, placement,
orientation, and monitoring functions that constitute the core elements
of international exchange programming.
It is the Department's intention that the burden of these reviews
on sponsors will be minimal. Most document production will precede the
on-site reviews and will involve standard and already existing business
documents. The on-site portion of the review will entail interviews
with key employees and review of files, but may also involve other
follow-on areas of inquiry.
Sponsors will be given at least ten business days' notice of the
on-site review at which time they will be asked to submit required
documentation within five business days. The Department will try to be
flexible with scheduling of reviews to ensure the availability of the
sponsor's responsible officer, alternate responsible officer(s), and
other key employees who will need to be interviewed. Many of the
reviews will be completed in two business days by two-person teams of
Department employees from the Office of Designation and the Office of
Exchange Coordination and Compliance. Individual circumstances,
however, may result in the Department bringing additional staff or
extending the length
[[Page 5638]]
of the review. In addition, a representative from both the Department's
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Grants Office and Youth
Programs Division will join the review teams for those sponsors that
place secondary school students under the terms of grant awards.
These reviews will not replace the redesignation process nor alter
the requirements that sponsors submit applications for redesignation
prior to the expiration of their current designations. Nor will the
reviews take the place of the annual data reports required by
regulation. Following the reviews, the Department will compile and
share best practices and lessons learned with the exchange community.
The Department recognizes it may also find operations that require the
imposition of corrective action plans, or it may find that some
entities no longer meet the eligibility requirements necessary to
retain their designations. The Department believes that these reviews
will provide an opportunity for continued growth of the partnership
between the Department and program sponsors necessary and that the
reviews will further our shared goal of ensuring that these young and
potentially vulnerable exchange program participants all return to
their countries with fond and meaningful memories of their successful
exchange adventure in the United States of America.
Dated: January 28, 2010.
Stanley S. Colvin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector Exchanges, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2010-2266 Filed 2-2-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P
