Notice of Meeting, 5517-5520 [2024-01683]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 19 / Monday, January 29, 2024 / Notices
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documents published by the
Department.
Nasser H. Paydar,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education.
[FR Doc. 2024–01679 Filed 1–26–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket No.: ED–2024–SCC–0018]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Comment Request; Formula
Grant Electronic Application System
for Indian Education (EASIE) Annual
Performance Report
Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education (OESE),
Department of Education (ED).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, the Department is proposing a
revision of a currently approved
information collection request (ICR).
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before March
29, 2024.
ADDRESSES: To access and review all the
documents related to the information
collection listed in this notice, please
use https://www.regulations.gov by
searching the Docket ID number ED–
2024–SCC–0018. Comments submitted
in response to this notice should be
submitted electronically through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov by selecting the
Docket ID number or via postal mail,
commercial delivery, or hand delivery.
If the regulations.gov site is not
available to the public for any reason,
the Department will temporarily accept
comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov.
Please include the docket ID number
and the title of the information
collection request when requesting
documents or submitting comments.
Please note that comments submitted
after the comment period will not be
accepted. Written requests for
information or comments submitted by
postal mail or delivery should be
addressed to the Manager of the
Strategic Collections and Clearance
Governance and Strategy Division, U.S.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
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Jkt 262001
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W203,
Washington, DC 20202–8240.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
specific questions related to collection
activities, please contact Crystal Moore,
202–987–0607.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Department, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA)
(44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the
general public and Federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on
proposed, revised, and continuing
collections of information. This helps
the Department assess the impact of its
information collection requirements and
minimize the public’s reporting burden.
It also helps the public understand the
Department’s information collection
requirements and provide the requested
data in the desired format. The
Department is soliciting comments on
the proposed information collection
request (ICR) that is described below.
The Department is especially interested
in public comment addressing the
following issues: (1) is this collection
necessary to the proper functions of the
Department; (2) will this information be
processed and used in a timely manner;
(3) is the estimate of burden accurate;
(4) how might the Department enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (5) how
might the Department minimize the
burden of this collection on the
respondents, including through the use
of information technology. Please note
that written comments received in
response to this notice will be
considered public records.
Title of Collection: Formula Grant
EASIE Annual Performance Report.
OMB Control Number: 1810–0726.
Type of Review: A revision of a
currently approved ICR.
Respondents/Affected Public: State,
local, and Tribal governments.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 1,300.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 14,300.
Abstract: The purpose of Indian
Education Formula Grant to Local
Agencies, as authorized under section
6116 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as
amended by the Every Student Succeeds
Act (ESSA) is to assist grantees to
provide Indian students with the
opportunity to meet the same
challenging state standards as all other
students and meet the unique
educational and culturally related
academic needs of Indian students. The
Indian Education Formula Grant
(Assistance Listing Number 84.060A), is
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neither competitive nor discretionary
and requires the annual submission of
the application from either a local
education agency, tribe, Indian
organization, or Indian communitybased organization. The amount of the
award for each applicant is determined
by a formula based on the reported
number of Indian students identified in
the application, the state per pupil
expenditure, and the total appropriation
available. The Office of Indian
Education (OIE) of The Department of
Education (ED) collects annual
performance data within the same
system that collects the annual
application. The application and the
annual performance report are both
housed in the OMB MAX/Connect.gov
Survey. Clearance was granted for the
Electronic Application System for
Indian Education (EASIE) Annual
Performance Report (EASIE Part III) in
a revised information collection by OIE.
This is a request for revision of this
collection. We have removed the fax
number fields from this collection. In
addition, we propose revisions that will
clarify instructions and improve
usability.
Dated: January 24, 2024.
Kun Mullan,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and
Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division,
Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of
Planning, Evaluation and Policy
Development.
[FR Doc. 2024–01694 Filed 1–26–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Notice of Meeting
National Advisory Committee
on Institutional Quality and Integrity
(NACIQI or Committee), Office of
Postsecondary Education, Department of
Education.
AGENCY:
Announcement of an open
meeting.
ACTION:
This notice sets forth the
agenda, time, and instructions to access
or participate in the February 27–28,
2024, hybrid meeting of NACIQI, and
provides information to members of the
public regarding the meeting, including
requesting to make written or oral
comments. Committee members will
meet in-person while accrediting agency
representatives and members of the
public will participate virtually. The
notice of this meeting is required under
section 1009(a)(2) of 5 U.S.C. chapter 10
(Federal Advisory Committees) and
section 114(d)(1)(B) of the Higher
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 19 / Monday, January 29, 2024 / Notices
Education Act of 1965, as amended
(HEA).
ADDRESSES: Lyndon Baines Johnson
Department of Education Building,
Barnard Auditorium, 400 Maryland
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202
[Only NACIQI members and Department
of Education staff will participate in the
meeting at this address].
DATES: The hybrid NACIQI meeting will
be held on February 27–28, 2024, from
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard
Time.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
George Alan Smith, Executive Director/
Designated Federal Official (DFO),
NACIQI, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington,
DC 20202, telephone: (202) 453–7757, or
email: George.Alan.Smith@ed.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Statutory Authority and Function:
NACIQI is established under Section
114 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1011c).
NACIQI advises the Secretary of
Education with respect to:
• The establishment and enforcement
of the standards of accrediting agencies
or associations under subpart 2, part H,
Title IV of the HEA, as amended;
• The recognition of 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 of the HEA,
together with recommendations for
improvement in such process;
• 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 of Education may prescribe by
regulation.
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Meeting Agenda
The purpose of the meeting is to
conduct a review of the following
applications for renewal of recognition,
compliance reports, and requests for
expansion of scope.
Applications for Renewal of Recognition
1. The Kansas State Board of Nursing.
Scope of Recognition: state agency for
the approval of nurse education.
2. The Missouri State Board of
Nursing. Scope of Recognition: state
agency for the approval of nurse
education.
3. The Oklahoma Board of Career and
Technology Education. Scope of
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Recognition: the approval of public
postsecondary vocational education
offered at institutions in the State of
Oklahoma that are not under the
jurisdiction of the Oklahoma State
Regents for Higher Education, including
the approval of public postsecondary
vocational education offered via
distance education.
4. New York State Board of Regents
(Public Postsecondary Vocational Ed,
Practical Nursing). Scope of
Recognition: state agency for the
approval of public postsecondary
vocational education in the field of
practical nursing offered by a Board of
Cooperative Educational Services, an
Educational Opportunity Center, City
School Districts, and County Boards of
Supervisors to prepare persons for
licensed practical nursing careers in the
State of New York.
5. The Pennsylvania State Board of
Career and Technical Education. Scope
of Recognition: state agency for the
approval of public postsecondary
vocational education.
Compliance Reports
1. Accreditation Commission for
Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine
(ACAHM). Scope of recognition: the
accreditation and pre-accreditation
(‘‘Candidacy’’) of professional nondegree and graduate degree programs,
including professional doctoral
programs, in the field of acupuncture
and/or Oriental medicine, as well as
freestanding institutions and colleges of
acupuncture and/or Oriental medicine
that offer such programs, including
programs offered via distance education.
Geographic Area of Accrediting
Activities: throughout the United States.
Please note, this accrediting agency
changed its name from ‘‘Accreditation
Commission for Acupuncture and
Oriental Medicine (ACAOM)’’ effective
September 8, 2021.
The compliance report must address
findings of noncompliance with 34 CFR
part 602, as referenced in the senior
Department official’s (SDO) decision
letter dated October 27, 2021. The SDO
also required that the Department staff’s
34 CFR 602.33 inquiry findings
concerning the Seldin/Haring-Smith
Foundation case study on Sex
Trafficking and State Authorized
Massage Schools, which involved an
ACAHM accredited institution, be
produced as part of the ACAHM
compliance report. The SDO decision
letter may be found under NACIQI
meeting date July 27, 2021, available at:
https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/
#/public-documents.
2. Council on Occupational
Education. Scope of recognition: the
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accreditation and pre-accreditation
(‘‘Candidacy Status’’) of postsecondary
occupational education institutions
offering non-degree and applied
associate degree programs in specific
career and technical education fields,
including institutions that offer
programs via distance education.
Geographic Area of Accrediting
Activities: throughout the United States.
The compliance report must address
findings of noncompliance with 34 CFR
part 602, as referenced in the SDO
decision letter dated October 27, 2021.
The SDO decision letter may be found
under NACIQI meeting date July 27,
2021, available at: https://
surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/
public-documents.
3. Transnational Association of
Christian Colleges and Schools,
Accreditation Commission. Scope of
Recognition: the accreditation and preaccreditation (‘‘Candidate’’ status) of
Christian postsecondary institutions
that offer certificates, diplomas, and
associate, baccalaureate, and graduate
degrees, including institutions that offer
distance education. Geographic Area of
Accrediting Activities: throughout the
United States. The compliance report
must address findings of noncompliance
with 34 CFR part 602, as referenced in
the SDO decision letter dated October
27, 2021. The SDO decision letter may
be found under NACIQI meeting date
July 27, 2021, available at: https://
surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/
public-documents.
Expansion of Scope
1. National Nurse Practitioner
Residency and Fellowship Training
Consortium. Scope of Recognition: the
accreditation of nurse practitioner (NP)
postgraduate residency and fellowship
training programs. This recognition also
extends to the agency’s Appeals Panel.
Requested Scope: the accreditation of
joint nurse practitioner/physician
assistant postgraduate residency and
fellowship training programs. This
recognition also extends to the agency’s
Appeals Panel.
Accreditor Dashboards
Agency representatives should be
prepared to respond to possible
questions from committee members
about their respective agency’s
dashboards, which are located on the
NACIQI website: https://sites.ed.gov/
naciqi/.
Agency Opening Statements
To ensure sufficient time for all
agency reviews, including NACIQI
questions and discussion, the
Department requests that the agencies
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 19 / Monday, January 29, 2024 / Notices
limit their opening statements to 10
minutes (total for one or more
statements), and that the agencies avoid
extended discussions about agency
representatives and their backgrounds.
Following the brief opening statement,
the agency’s presentation should focus
on the regulatory criteria, and in
particular, responses to areas where the
staff has recommended a finding of
noncompliance or substantial
compliance, or where other concerns
have been raised that the agency would
like to address. However, the agency
should expect that questions from
NACIQI members may focus on other
areas.
Administration Policy Update
A representative of the
Administration will discuss higher
education policy priorities.
Accreditor Dashboards Subcommittee
Report
The subcommittee will report on
information it received from interviews
conducted with institutional
accreditors.
Policy Discussion
In addition to its review of accrediting
agencies and State approval agencies for
Secretarial recognition, there will be
time for Committee discussions relevant
to any of the functions within NACIQI’s
statutory authority.
Instructions To Access or Participate in
the Meeting Registration
Accrediting agency representatives
and members of the public can access or
participate in the meeting virtually. You
may register for the meeting on your
computer using the link below. After
you register, you will receive a
confirmation email containing
personalized participation links for each
day of the two-day meeting.
Registration Link
https://cvent.me/lMYY3g.
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Public Comment
Submission of requests to make an
oral comment regarding a specific
accrediting agency under review, or to
make an oral comment or written
statement regarding other issues within
the scope of NACIQI’s authority:
The opportunity to submit a written
statement regarding a specific
accrediting agency under review was
solicited by a previous Federal Register
notice published on November 14, 2022
(87 FR 68144; Document Number 2022–
24637). The period for submission of
such statements is now closed.
Additional written statements regarding
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a specific accrediting agency or state
approval agency under review will not
be accepted at this time. However,
members of the public may submit
written statements regarding other
issues within the scope of NACIQI’s
authority, as outlined under Section 114
of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1011c), in the
manner described below.
Members of the public may make oral
comments regarding a specific
accrediting agency under review and/or
other issues within the scope of
NACIQI’s authority. Oral comments may
not exceed three minutes. Oral
comments about an agency’s recognition
when a compliance report has been
required by the SDO or the Secretary
must relate to the criteria for recognition
cited in the SDO’s letter that requested
the report, or in the Secretary’s appeal
decision, if any. Oral comments about
an agency seeking expansion of scope
must be directed to the agency’s ability
to serve as a recognized accrediting
agency with respect to the kinds of
institutions or programs requested to be
added. Oral comments about the
renewal of an agency’s recognition must
relate to its compliance with the criteria
for the Recognition of Accrediting
Agencies, which are available at https://
www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/
index.html.
Written statements and oral
comments concerning NACIQI’s work
outside of a specific accrediting agency
under review must be limited to matters
within the scope of NACIQI’s authority,
as outlined under Section 114 of the
HEA (20 U.S.C. 1011c), and written
statements of any kind submitted after
the deadline will not be considered by
the Department or provided to NACIQI
for purposes of the current cycle review.
Instructions on Requesting To Make
Public Comment
To make oral comments of three
minutes or less during the meeting,
please follow either Method One or
Method Two below. To submit a written
statement concerning NACIQI’s work
outside a specific accrediting agency
under review, please follow Method
One.
Method One: Send an email to the
ThirdPartyComments@ed.gov mailbox
no later than February 20, 2024. Please
do not send material directly to NACIQI
members. Emails submitting written
statements must include the subject line
‘‘Written Statement: (subject)’’ and
emails requesting to make oral comment
must include the subject line ‘‘Oral
Comment Request: (agency name),’’
‘‘Oral Comment Request: (subject).’’
Emails must include the name(s), title,
organization/affiliation, mailing
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5519
address, email address, and telephone
number, of the person(s) submitting a
written statement or requesting to speak.
All individuals submitting a request to
make oral comment in accordance with
Method One will be afforded an
opportunity to speak.
Method Two (Only available to those
seeking to make oral comments): Submit
a request by email on February 27, 2024,
between 7:45 a.m.–8:45 a.m. Eastern
Standard Time to the
ThirdPartyComments@ed.gov mailbox.
The email must include the subject on
which the requestor wishes to comment,
in addition to his or her name, title,
organization/affiliation, mailing
address, email address, and telephone
number. If you intend to make your
comments by dialing into the meeting
rather than using a computer, please be
sure to include that information in your
email request. A total of up to fifteen
minutes for each agenda item will be
allotted for oral commenters who
submit a request in accordance with
Method Two. Individuals will be
selected on a first-come, first-served
basis. If selected, each commenter may
not exceed three minutes.
Access to Records of the Meeting: The
Department will post the official report
of the meeting on the NACIQI website
https://sites.ed.gov/naciqi/archive-ofmeetings/ within 90 days after the
meeting. In addition, pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 1009(b), the public may request
to inspect records of the meeting at 400
Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC,
by emailing aslrecordsmanager@ed.gov
or by calling (202) 453–7415 to schedule
an appointment. The SDO’s (as defined
in 34 CFR 602.3) decisions, pursuant to
34 CFR 602.36, associated with all
NACIQI meetings can be found at the
following website: https://
surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/
public-documents.
Reasonable Accommodations: The
dial-in information and weblink access
to the meeting are accessible to
individuals with disabilities. If you will
need an auxiliary aid or service to
participate in the meeting (e.g.,
interpreting service, assistive listening
device, or materials in an alternate
format), notify the contact person listed
in this notice at least two weeks before
the scheduled meeting date. Although
we will attempt to meet a request
received after that date, we may not be
able to make available the requested
auxiliary aid or service because of
insufficient time to arrange it.
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
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 19 / Monday, January 29, 2024 / Notices
and the Code of Federal Regulations is
available via the Federal Digital System
at: 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, you must
have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at the site. You also may
access documents of the Department
published in the Federal Register by
using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically,
through the advanced search feature at
this site, you can limit your search to
documents published by the
Department.
Authority: Section 114 of the HEA of
1964, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1011c).
Antoinette Flores,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy,
Planning and Innovation, Office of
Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2024–01683 Filed 1–26–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket No.: ED–2024–SCC–0016]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Comment Request; High
School Equivalency Program (HEP)
Annual Performance Report
Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education (OESE),
Department of Education (ED).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, the Department is proposing a
revision of a currently approved
information collection request (ICR).
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before March
29, 2024.
ADDRESSES: To access and review all the
documents related to the information
collection listed in this notice, please
use https://www.regulations.gov by
searching the Docket ID number ED–
2024–SCC–0016. Comments submitted
in response to this notice should be
submitted electronically through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov by selecting the
Docket ID number or via postal mail,
commercial delivery, or hand delivery.
If the regulations.gov site is not
available to the public for any reason,
the Department will temporarily accept
comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov.
Please include the docket ID number
and the title of the information
collection request when requesting
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SUMMARY:
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documents or submitting comments.
Please note that comments submitted
after the comment period will not be
accepted. Written requests for
information or comments submitted by
postal mail or delivery should be
addressed to the Manager of the
Strategic Collections and Clearance
Governance and Strategy Division, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W203,
Washington, DC 20202–8240.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
specific questions related to collection
activities, please contact Katrina
Ballard, (202) 987–0702.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Department, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA)
(44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the
general public and Federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on
proposed, revised, and continuing
collections of information. This helps
the Department assess the impact of its
information collection requirements and
minimize the public’s reporting burden.
It also helps the public understand the
Department’s information collection
requirements and provide the requested
data in the desired format. The
Department is soliciting comments on
the proposed information collection
request (ICR) that is described below.
The Department is especially interested
in public comment addressing the
following issues: (1) is this collection
necessary to the proper functions of the
Department; (2) will this information be
processed and used in a timely manner;
(3) is the estimate of burden accurate;
(4) how might the Department enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (5) how
might the Department minimize the
burden of this collection on the
respondents, including through the use
of information technology. Please note
that written comments received in
response to this notice will be
considered public records.
Title of Collection: High School
Equivalency Program (HEP) Annual
Performance Report.
OMB Control Number: 1810–0684.
Type of Review: Revision of a
currently approved ICR.
Respondents/Affected Public: State,
Local, and Tribal Governments.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 54.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 1,242.
Abstract: This is a request for a
revision of the 1810–0684 High School
Equivalency Program (HEP) Annual
Performance Report collection. These
revisions include language
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replacements, removals, and additions
that are intended to ensure compliance
with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.110 and OMB
Circular A–110, improve the clarity of
instructions and data collection, and
remove duplicative language.
Substantive changes include the
addition of a data element related to
mode of instruction. For a complete list
of revisions, please see the attached
summary, which will be shared with the
public and OMB as a supplemental
document. The Office of Migrant
Education (OME) is collecting
information for the High School
Equivalency Program (HEP) which is
authorized under Title IV, Section 418A
of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended by Section 408 of the Higher
Education Opportunity Act (HEOA)(20
U.S.C. 1070d–2) (special programs for
students whose families are engaged in
migrant and seasonal farm work) and 2
CFR 200.328 which requires that
recipients of discretionary grants submit
an Annual Performance Report (APR) to
best inform improvements in program
outcomes and productivity.
Although the Education Department
continues to use the generic 524B, OME
is requesting to continue the use of a
customized APR that goes beyond the
generic 524B APR to facilitate the
collection of more standardized and
comprehensive data to inform
performance indicators, to improve the
overall quality of data collected, and to
increase the quality of data that can be
used to inform policy decisions.
Although the Education Department
continues to use the generic 524B, OME
is requesting to continue the use of a
customized APR that goes beyond the
generic 524B APR to facilitate the
collection of more standardized and
comprehensive data to inform
Government Performance Results Act
(GPRA) indicators, to improve the
overall quality of data collected, and to
increase the quality of data that can be
used to inform policy decisions.
Dated: January 23, 2024.
Kun Mullan,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and
Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division,
Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of
Planning, Evaluation and Policy
Development.
[FR Doc. 2024–01628 Filed 1–26–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5517-5520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01683]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Notice of Meeting
AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and
Integrity (NACIQI or Committee), Office of Postsecondary Education,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Announcement of an open meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the agenda, time, and instructions to
access or participate in the February 27-28, 2024, hybrid meeting of
NACIQI, and provides information to members of the public regarding the
meeting, including requesting to make written or oral comments.
Committee members will meet in-person while accrediting agency
representatives and members of the public will participate virtually.
The notice of this meeting is required under section 1009(a)(2) of 5
U.S.C. chapter 10 (Federal Advisory Committees) and section
114(d)(1)(B) of the Higher
[[Page 5518]]
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).
ADDRESSES: Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building,
Barnard Auditorium, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202 [Only
NACIQI members and Department of Education staff will participate in
the meeting at this address].
DATES: The hybrid NACIQI meeting will be held on February 27-28, 2024,
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Alan Smith, Executive Director/
Designated Federal Official (DFO), NACIQI, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202, telephone:
(202) 453-7757, or email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Statutory Authority and Function: NACIQI is established under
Section 114 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1011c). NACIQI advises the Secretary
of Education with respect to:
The establishment and enforcement of the standards of
accrediting agencies or associations under subpart 2, part H, Title IV
of the HEA, as amended;
The recognition of 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 of the HEA, together with
recommendations for improvement in such process;
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 of Education may prescribe
by regulation.
Meeting Agenda
The purpose of the meeting is to conduct a review of the following
applications for renewal of recognition, compliance reports, and
requests for expansion of scope.
Applications for Renewal of Recognition
1. The Kansas State Board of Nursing. Scope of Recognition: state
agency for the approval of nurse education.
2. The Missouri State Board of Nursing. Scope of Recognition: state
agency for the approval of nurse education.
3. The Oklahoma Board of Career and Technology Education. Scope of
Recognition: the approval of public postsecondary vocational education
offered at institutions in the State of Oklahoma that are not under the
jurisdiction of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education,
including the approval of public postsecondary vocational education
offered via distance education.
4. New York State Board of Regents (Public Postsecondary Vocational
Ed, Practical Nursing). Scope of Recognition: state agency for the
approval of public postsecondary vocational education in the field of
practical nursing offered by a Board of Cooperative Educational
Services, an Educational Opportunity Center, City School Districts, and
County Boards of Supervisors to prepare persons for licensed practical
nursing careers in the State of New York.
5. The Pennsylvania State Board of Career and Technical Education.
Scope of Recognition: state agency for the approval of public
postsecondary vocational education.
Compliance Reports
1. Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine
(ACAHM). Scope of recognition: the accreditation and pre-accreditation
(``Candidacy'') of professional non-degree and graduate degree
programs, including professional doctoral programs, in the field of
acupuncture and/or Oriental medicine, as well as freestanding
institutions and colleges of acupuncture and/or Oriental medicine that
offer such programs, including programs offered via distance education.
Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: throughout the United
States. Please note, this accrediting agency changed its name from
``Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
(ACAOM)'' effective September 8, 2021.
The compliance report must address findings of noncompliance with
34 CFR part 602, as referenced in the senior Department official's
(SDO) decision letter dated October 27, 2021. The SDO also required
that the Department staff's 34 CFR 602.33 inquiry findings concerning
the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation case study on Sex Trafficking and
State Authorized Massage Schools, which involved an ACAHM accredited
institution, be produced as part of the ACAHM compliance report. The
SDO decision letter may be found under NACIQI meeting date July 27,
2021, available at: https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents.
2. Council on Occupational Education. Scope of recognition: the
accreditation and pre-accreditation (``Candidacy Status'') of
postsecondary occupational education institutions offering non-degree
and applied associate degree programs in specific career and technical
education fields, including institutions that offer programs via
distance education. Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities:
throughout the United States.
The compliance report must address findings of noncompliance with
34 CFR part 602, as referenced in the SDO decision letter dated October
27, 2021. The SDO decision letter may be found under NACIQI meeting
date July 27, 2021, available at: https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents.
3. Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools,
Accreditation Commission. Scope of Recognition: the accreditation and
pre-accreditation (``Candidate'' status) of Christian postsecondary
institutions that offer certificates, diplomas, and associate,
baccalaureate, and graduate degrees, including institutions that offer
distance education. Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities:
throughout the United States. The compliance report must address
findings of noncompliance with 34 CFR part 602, as referenced in the
SDO decision letter dated October 27, 2021. The SDO decision letter may
be found under NACIQI meeting date July 27, 2021, available at: https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents.
Expansion of Scope
1. National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training
Consortium. Scope of Recognition: the accreditation of nurse
practitioner (NP) postgraduate residency and fellowship training
programs. This recognition also extends to the agency's Appeals Panel.
Requested Scope: the accreditation of joint nurse practitioner/
physician assistant postgraduate residency and fellowship training
programs. This recognition also extends to the agency's Appeals Panel.
Accreditor Dashboards
Agency representatives should be prepared to respond to possible
questions from committee members about their respective agency's
dashboards, which are located on the NACIQI website: https://sites.ed.gov/naciqi/.
Agency Opening Statements
To ensure sufficient time for all agency reviews, including NACIQI
questions and discussion, the Department requests that the agencies
[[Page 5519]]
limit their opening statements to 10 minutes (total for one or more
statements), and that the agencies avoid extended discussions about
agency representatives and their backgrounds. Following the brief
opening statement, the agency's presentation should focus on the
regulatory criteria, and in particular, responses to areas where the
staff has recommended a finding of noncompliance or substantial
compliance, or where other concerns have been raised that the agency
would like to address. However, the agency should expect that questions
from NACIQI members may focus on other areas.
Administration Policy Update
A representative of the Administration will discuss higher
education policy priorities.
Accreditor Dashboards Subcommittee Report
The subcommittee will report on information it received from
interviews conducted with institutional accreditors.
Policy Discussion
In addition to its review of accrediting agencies and State
approval agencies for Secretarial recognition, there will be time for
Committee discussions relevant to any of the functions within NACIQI's
statutory authority.
Instructions To Access or Participate in the Meeting Registration
Accrediting agency representatives and members of the public can
access or participate in the meeting virtually. You may register for
the meeting on your computer using the link below. After you register,
you will receive a confirmation email containing personalized
participation links for each day of the two-day meeting.
Registration Link
https://cvent.me/lMYY3g.
Public Comment
Submission of requests to make an oral comment regarding a specific
accrediting agency under review, or to make an oral comment or written
statement regarding other issues within the scope of NACIQI's
authority:
The opportunity to submit a written statement regarding a specific
accrediting agency under review was solicited by a previous Federal
Register notice published on November 14, 2022 (87 FR 68144; Document
Number 2022-24637). The period for submission of such statements is now
closed. Additional written statements regarding a specific accrediting
agency or state approval agency under review will not be accepted at
this time. However, members of the public may submit written statements
regarding other issues within the scope of NACIQI's authority, as
outlined under Section 114 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1011c), in the manner
described below.
Members of the public may make oral comments regarding a specific
accrediting agency under review and/or other issues within the scope of
NACIQI's authority. Oral comments may not exceed three minutes. Oral
comments about an agency's recognition when a compliance report has
been required by the SDO or the Secretary must relate to the criteria
for recognition cited in the SDO's letter that requested the report, or
in the Secretary's appeal decision, if any. Oral comments about an
agency seeking expansion of scope must be directed to the agency's
ability to serve as a recognized accrediting agency with respect to the
kinds of institutions or programs requested to be added. Oral comments
about the renewal of an agency's recognition must relate to its
compliance with the criteria for the Recognition of Accrediting
Agencies, which are available at https://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/.
Written statements and oral comments concerning NACIQI's work
outside of a specific accrediting agency under review must be limited
to matters within the scope of NACIQI's authority, as outlined under
Section 114 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1011c), and written statements of any
kind submitted after the deadline will not be considered by the
Department or provided to NACIQI for purposes of the current cycle
review.
Instructions on Requesting To Make Public Comment
To make oral comments of three minutes or less during the meeting,
please follow either Method One or Method Two below. To submit a
written statement concerning NACIQI's work outside a specific
accrediting agency under review, please follow Method One.
Method One: Send an email to the [email protected] mailbox
no later than February 20, 2024. Please do not send material directly
to NACIQI members. Emails submitting written statements must include
the subject line ``Written Statement: (subject)'' and emails requesting
to make oral comment must include the subject line ``Oral Comment
Request: (agency name),'' ``Oral Comment Request: (subject).'' Emails
must include the name(s), title, organization/affiliation, mailing
address, email address, and telephone number, of the person(s)
submitting a written statement or requesting to speak. All individuals
submitting a request to make oral comment in accordance with Method One
will be afforded an opportunity to speak.
Method Two (Only available to those seeking to make oral comments):
Submit a request by email on February 27, 2024, between 7:45 a.m.-8:45
a.m. Eastern Standard Time to the [email protected] mailbox.
The email must include the subject on which the requestor wishes to
comment, in addition to his or her name, title, organization/
affiliation, mailing address, email address, and telephone number. If
you intend to make your comments by dialing into the meeting rather
than using a computer, please be sure to include that information in
your email request. A total of up to fifteen minutes for each agenda
item will be allotted for oral commenters who submit a request in
accordance with Method Two. Individuals will be selected on a first-
come, first-served basis. If selected, each commenter may not exceed
three minutes.
Access to Records of the Meeting: The Department will post the
official report of the meeting on the NACIQI website https://sites.ed.gov/naciqi/archive-of-meetings/ within 90 days after the
meeting. In addition, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 1009(b), the public may
request to inspect records of the meeting at 400 Maryland Avenue SW,
Washington, DC, by emailing [email protected] or by calling
(202) 453-7415 to schedule an appointment. The SDO's (as defined in 34
CFR 602.3) decisions, pursuant to 34 CFR 602.36, associated with all
NACIQI meetings can be found at the following website: https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents.
Reasonable Accommodations: The dial-in information and weblink
access to the meeting are accessible to individuals with disabilities.
If you will need an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the
meeting (e.g., interpreting service, assistive listening device, or
materials in an alternate format), notify the contact person listed in
this notice at least two weeks before the scheduled meeting date.
Although we will attempt to meet a request received after that date, we
may not be able to make available the requested auxiliary aid or
service because of insufficient time to arrange it.
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
[[Page 5520]]
and the Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal
Digital System at: 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, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free
at the site. You also may access documents of the Department published
in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Authority: Section 114 of the HEA of 1964, as amended (20 U.S.C.
1011c).
Antoinette Flores,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Innovation, Office
of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2024-01683 Filed 1-26-24; 8:45 am]
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