| Publication Date: August 2003 FRPart: |
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Page Numbers: 45797-45798
Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, State Agencies for the Approval of Public Postsecondary Vocational Education, and State Agencies for the Approval of Nurse Education.
Posted on 08-04-2003
[Federal Register: August 4, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 149)]
[Notices]
[Page 45797-45798]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04au03-27]
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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 initial or renewed recognition or whose interim
reports will be reviewed at the Advisory Committee meeting to be held
on December 8-9, 2003.
Where Should I Submit My Comments?
Please submit your written comments by September 18, 2003 to Carol
Griffiths, Chief, Accrediting Agency Evaluation, 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. 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
[[Page 45798]]
offer a second opportunity to submit written comment.
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 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/offices/OPE/accreditation
.
We will also include your comments with the staff analyses we
present to the Advisory Committee at its December 2003 meeting.
Therefore, in order for us to give full consideration to your comments,
it is important that we receive them by September 18, 2003. In all
instances, your comments about agencies seeking initial or continued
recognition must relate to the Criteria for Recognition. In addition,
your comments for any agency whose interim 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 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 he grants to the agency.
The following agencies will be reviewed during the December 2003
meeting of the Advisory Committee:
Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies
Petitions for Renewal of Recognition
1. Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (Current scope of
recognition: The accreditation of private, postsecondary allied health
education institutions and institutions that offer predominantly allied
health programs, private medical assistant programs, and public and
private medical laboratory technician programs leading to the Associate
of Applied Science and the Associate of Occupational Science degrees.)
Interim Reports (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. Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services
Administration
2. American Board of Funeral Service Education
3. Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools
4. National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
Progress Reports
1. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on
Colleges (This is a report on the agency's implementation of its new
standards).
2. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting
Commission for Schools (This is a report on the agency's action plan
for coming into compliance with criteria for recognition).
State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Public Postsecondary
Vocational Education
Petitions for Renewal of Recognition
1. Missouri State Board of Education (Current scope of recognition:
The approval of public, postsecondary vocational education in the state
of Missouri)
At its June 2003 meeting, the Advisory Committee recommended that
review of this agency's petition for continued recognition be deferred
until the Committee's December 2003 meeting.
Interim Reports
2. New York Board of Regents (Public Postsecondary Vocational
Education Unit)
State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education
Interim Reports
1. North Dakota 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 and copying 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 14, 2003. They
will be available again after the December 8-9 Advisory Committee
meeting. An appointment must be made in advance of such inspection or
copying.
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 at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: 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 on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
Authority: 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 03-19723 Filed 8-1-03; 8:45 am]
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