| Publication Date: October 2004 FRPart: |
Page Numbers: 60994-60995
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 10-17-2004
[Federal Register: October 14, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 198)]
[Notices]
[Page 60994-60995]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14oc04-39]
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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?
On August 11, 2004, we published a notice in the Federal Register
to invite written comments on the petition for expansion of scope
submitted by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) that
will be reviewed at the Advisory Committee meeting to be held on
December 13-15, 2004. This notice amends the requested scope of
recognition to clarify the relationship between an institution's
recognition by DETC and the institution's Title IV eligibility. This
notice invites written comments on the amended scope of recognition
requested by DETC.
Petition for an Expansion of Scope
1. Distance Education and Training Council, Accrediting Commission
(Current scope of recognition: The accreditation of postsecondary
institutions in the United States offering programs primarily by the
distance education method up through the first professional degree
level. Title IV Note: Accreditation by this agency does not enable the
entities it accredits to establish eligibility to participate in Title
IV programs.) (Requested scope of recognition: The accreditation of
postsecondary institutions in the United States that offer degree
programs primarily by the distance education method up through the
first professional degree level, and are specifically certified by the
agency as accredited for Title IV purposes; and the accreditation of
postsecondary institutions in the United States not participating in
Title IV that offer programs primarily by the distance education method
up through the first professional degree level. Title IV Note:
Accreditation by this agency does not enable the entities it accredits
to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, other
than to permit degree-granting schools certified by DETC as accredited
for Title IV purposes to establish eligibility to participate in the
Distance Education Demonstration Program.)
Where Should I Submit My Comments?
Please submit your written comments by November 15, 2004 to Carol
Griffiths, Accrediting Agency Evaluation, Accreditation and State
Liaison. You may contact her at the U.S. Department of Education, 1990
K Street, NW., 7th Floor, Room 7105, Washington, DC 20006-8509,
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, another 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 offer an 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 Distance Education and Training Council's
compliance with the Secretary's Criteria for Recognition of Accrediting
Agencies. The Criteria are regulations found in 34 CFR Part 602 (for
accrediting agencies).
We will also respond to your comments, as appropriate, in the staff
analysis we present to the Advisory Committee at its December 2004
meeting. Therefore, in order for us to give full consideration to your
comments, it is important that we receive them by November 15, 2004. In
all instances, your comments regarding the Distance Education and
Training Council must relate to the Criteria for Recognition.
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.
Where Can I Inspect Petitions and Third-Party Comments Before and After
the Meeting?
Subject to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 522, petitions, interim
reports, and those third-party comments received in advance of the
meeting, will, upon written request, be made available, by appointment,
for inspection and copying at the U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K
Street, NW., 7th Floor, Room 7105, Washington, DC 20006-8509, telephone
(202) 219-7011 until November 17, 2004. They will be available again
after the December 13-15 Advisory Committee meeting.
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
[[Page 60995]]
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.gpoaccess.gpo/
.
Authority: 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2.
Dated: October 7, 2004.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 04-23018 Filed 10-13-04; 8:45 am]
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