83_FR_3351 83 FR 3335 - Office of Postsecondary Education; Solicitation of Third-Party Comments Concerning the Performance of Accrediting Agencies

83 FR 3335 - Office of Postsecondary Education; Solicitation of Third-Party Comments Concerning the Performance of Accrediting Agencies

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 16 (January 24, 2018)

Page Range3335-3336
FR Document2018-01220

This notice provides information to members of the public on submitting written comments for accrediting agencies currently undergoing review for purposes of recognition by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 16 (Wednesday, January 24, 2018) 
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 24, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3335-3336]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01220]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Solicitation of Third-Party 
Comments Concerning the Performance of Accrediting Agencies

AGENCY: Accreditation Group, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. 
Department of Education.

ACTION: Call for written third-party comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice provides information to members of the public on 
submitting written comments for accrediting agencies currently 
undergoing review for purposes of recognition by the U.S. Secretary of 
Education.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Herman Bounds, Director, Accreditation 
Group, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 
400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 270-01, Washington, DC 20202, telephone: 
(202) 453-7615, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This solicitation of third-party comments 
concerning the performance of accrediting agencies under review by the 
Secretary is required by section 496(n)(1)(A) of the Higher Education 
Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended. These accrediting agencies will be on 
the agenda for the Spring 2018 National Advisory Committee on 
Institutional Quality and Integrity meeting. The meeting date has not 
been determined, but will be announced in a separate Federal Register 
notice.
    Agencies Under Review and Evaluation: Below is a list of agencies 
currently undergoing review and evaluation by the Accreditation Group, 
including their current and requested scopes of recognition:

Application for Initial Recognition

    1. Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. 
Requested Scope of Recognition: The accreditation of private 
postsecondary institutions offering certificates or diplomas, and 
postsecondary institutions offering associate, bachelor's, or master's 
degrees in programs designed to educate students for professional, 
technical, or occupational careers, including those that offer those 
programs via distance education.

Applications for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools, 
Accreditation Commission. Scope of Recognition: The accreditation and 
preaccreditation (``Correspondent'' and ``Candidate'') within the 
United States of advanced rabbinical and Talmudic schools.
    2. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for 
Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. Scope of Recognition: The 
accreditation and pre-accreditation, within the United States, of 
Didactic and Coordinated Programs in Dietetics at both the 
undergraduate and graduate level, post-baccalaureate Dietetic 
Internships, and Dietetic Technician Programs at the associate degree 
level, and for its accreditation of such programs offered via distance 
education.
    3. Accreditation Council on Optometric Education. Scope of 
Recognition: The accreditation in the United States of professional 
optometric degree programs, optometric technician (associate degree) 
programs, and optometric residency programs, and for the pre-
accreditation category of Preliminary Approval for professional 
optometric degree programs.
    4. Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational 
Programs. Scope of Recognition: The accreditation of institutions and 
programs of nurse anesthesia at the post master's certificate, 
master's, or doctoral degree levels in the United States, and its 
territories, including programs offering distance education.
    5. Liaison Committee on Medical Education. Scope of Recognition: 
The accreditation of medical education programs within the United 
States leading to the M.D. degree.
    6. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Scope of 
Recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidacy 
Status'') of postsecondary degree-granting educational institutions in 
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and the 
accreditation of programs offered via distance education within these 
institutions.
    7. National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Scope of 
Recognition: For the accreditation throughout the United States of 
freestanding institutions and units offering art/design and art/design-
related programs (both degree- and non-degree-granting), including 
those offered via distance education.

Compliance Report

    1. American Psychological Association. Compliance report includes 
the following: (1) Findings identified in the September 22, 2016 letter 
from the senior Department official following the June 23, 2016 NACIQI 
meeting available at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm, (2) Review under 34 CFR 602.19(a), and Sec.  
602.20(b).
    Scope of Recognition: The accreditation in the United States of 
doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, school and combined 
professional-scientific psychology; doctoral internship programs in 
health service psychology; and postdoctoral residency programs in 
health service psychology. The preaccreditation in the United States of 
doctoral internship programs in health service psychology;

[[Page 3336]]

and postdoctoral residency programs in health service psychology.
    2. American Bar Association Compliance report includes the 
following: (1) Findings identified in the October 28, 2016 letter from 
the senior Department official following the June 23, 2016 NACIQI 
meeting available at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm, (2) Review under 34 CFR 602.15(a)(1), Sec.  
602.15(a)(2), Sec.  602.15(a)(3), Sec.  602.16(a)(1)(viii), and Sec.  
602.17(b).
    Scope of Recognition: The accreditation throughout the United 
States of programs in legal education that lead to the first 
professional degree in law as well as freestanding law schools offering 
such programs. This recognition also extends to the Accreditation 
Committee of the Section of Legal Education (Accreditation Committee) 
for decisions involving continued accreditation (referred to by the 
agency as ``approval'') of law schools.
    3. American Osteopathic Association, Commission on Osteopathic 
College Accreditation Compliance report includes the following: (1) 
Findings identified in the October 28, 2016 letter from the senior 
Department official following the June 23, 2016 NACIQI meeting 
available at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm, (2) 
Review under 34 CFR 602.11, Sec.  602.13, Sec.  602.15(a)(3), Sec.  
602.16(a)(1)(i), Sec.  602.16(a)(1)(ii), Sec.  602.16(a)(1)(iii), Sec.  
602.16(a)(1)(iv) Sec.  602.16(a)(1)(v), Sec.  602.16(a)(1)(vi), Sec.  
602.16(a)(1)(vii) Sec.  602.16(a)(1)(viii) Sec.  602.16(a)(1)(ix) Sec.  
602.16(a)(1)(x), Sec.  602.16(a)(2), Sec.  602.17(a), Sec.  602.19(b), 
Sec.  602.20(a), and Sec.  602.26(b).
    4. Transnational Association Of Christian Colleges and Schools 
Compliance report includes the following: (1) Findings identified in 
the October 28, 2016 letter from the senior Department official 
following the June 23, 2016 NACIQI meeting available at: https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/finalstaffreports.cfm, (2) Review under 34 CFR 
602.15(a)(2), and Sec.  602.19(b).
    Scope of Recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation 
(``Candidate'' Status) of Christian postsecondary institutions in the 
United States that offer certificates, diplomas, and associate, 
baccalaureate, and graduate degrees, including institutions that offer 
distance education.

Application for an Expansion of Scope

    Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools, 
Accreditation Commission. Scope of Recognition: The accreditation and 
preaccreditation (``Correspondent'' and ``Candidate'') within the 
United States of advanced rabbinical and Talmudic schools. Requested 
Scope: The accreditation of advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic 
institutions in the United States which grant postsecondary degrees 
such as Associate, Baccalaureate, Masters, Doctorate, First Rabbinic 
and First Talmudic degrees.

Renewal--State Agency for the Approval of Public Postsecondary 
Vocational Education

    Puerto Rico State Agency for the Approval of Public Postsecondary 
Vocational, Technical Institutions and Programs

Submission of Written Comments Regarding a Specific Accrediting Agency 
or State Approval Agency Under Review

    Written comments about the recognition of a specific accrediting or 
State agency must be received by February 16, 2018, in the 
[email protected] mailbox and include the subject line 
``Written Comments: (agency name).'' The email must include the 
name(s), title, organization/affiliation, mailing address, email 
address, and telephone number of the person(s) making the comment. 
Comments should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document or in a 
medium compatible with Microsoft Word (not a PDF file) that is attached 
to an electronic mail message (email) or provided in the body of an 
email message. Comments about an agency's recognition after review of a 
compliance report must relate to issues identified in the compliance 
report and the criteria for recognition cited in the senior Department 
official's letter that requested the report, or in the Secretary's 
appeal decision, if any. Comments about the renewal of an agency's 
recognition based on a review of the agency's petition must relate to 
its compliance with the Criteria for the Recognition of Accrediting 
Agencies, or the Criteria and Procedures for Recognition of State 
Agencies for Approval of Nurse Education as appropriate, which are 
available at http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.
    Only written material submitted by the deadline to the email 
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 NACIQI in 
their deliberations.
    A later Federal Register Notice will describe how to register to 
provide oral comments at the meeting about the recognition of a 
specific accrediting agency or State approval agency.
    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: www.thefederalregister.org/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of this 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 may also 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: 20 U.S.C. 1011c.

Lynn B. Mahaffie,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Policy, and Innovation.
[FR Doc. 2018-01220 Filed 1-23-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P

Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 16 / Wednesday, January 24, 2018 / Notices 3335 public comment addressing the recognition by the U.S. Secretary of accreditation of such programs offered following issues: (1) Is this collection Education. via distance education. necessary to the proper functions of the 3. Accreditation Council on FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Department; (2) will this information be Optometric Education. Scope of Herman Bounds, Director, Accreditation processed and used in a timely manner; Recognition: The accreditation in the Group, Office of Postsecondary (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; United States of professional optometric Education, U.S. Department of (4) how might the Department enhance degree programs, optometric technician Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, the quality, utility, and clarity of the (associate degree) programs, and Room 270–01, Washington, DC 20202, information to be collected; and (5) how optometric residency programs, and for telephone: (202) 453–7615, or email: might the Department minimize the the pre-accreditation category of herman.bounds@ed.gov. burden of this collection on the Preliminary Approval for professional respondents, including through the use SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This optometric degree programs. of information technology. Please note solicitation of third-party comments 4. Council on Accreditation of Nurse that written comments received in concerning the performance of Anesthesia Educational Programs. response to this notice will be accrediting agencies under review by Scope of Recognition: The accreditation considered public records. the Secretary is required by section of institutions and programs of nurse Title of Collection: Freedom of 496(n)(1)(A) of the Higher Education anesthesia at the post master’s Information Act (FOIA) Third Party Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended. These certificate, master’s, or doctoral degree Perjury Form. accrediting agencies will be on the levels in the United States, and its OMB Control Number: 1880–0545. agenda for the Spring 2018 National territories, including programs offering Type of Review: An extension of an Advisory Committee on Institutional distance education. existing information collection. Quality and Integrity meeting. The 5. Liaison Committee on Medical Respondents/Affected Public: meeting date has not been determined, Education. Scope of Recognition: The Individuals or Households. but will be announced in a separate accreditation of medical education Total Estimated Number of Annual Federal Register notice. programs within the United States Responses: 62,000. Agencies Under Review and leading to the M.D. degree. Total Estimated Number of Annual Evaluation: Below is a list of agencies 6. Northwest Commission on Colleges Burden Hours: 31,000. currently undergoing review and and Universities. Scope of Recognition: Abstract: This collection is necessary evaluation by the Accreditation Group, The accreditation and preaccreditation to certify the identity of individuals including their current and requested (‘‘Candidacy Status’’) of postsecondary requesting information under the scopes of recognition: degree-granting educational institutions Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Application for Initial Recognition in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Privacy Act (PA). This certification is Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and the required under 5 U.S.C. Section 552a(b). 1. Accrediting Council for accreditation of programs offered via The form is used by Privacy Act Independent Colleges and Schools. distance education within these requesters to obtain personal records via Requested Scope of Recognition: The institutions. regular mail, fax or email. The accreditation of private postsecondary department will use the information to 7. National Association of Schools of institutions offering certificates or Art and Design. Scope of Recognition: help identify first-party or third party diplomas, and postsecondary requesters with same or similar name For the accreditation throughout the institutions offering associate, United States of freestanding when requesting retrieval of their own bachelor’s, or master’s degrees in documents. institutions and units offering art/design programs designed to educate students and art/design-related programs (both Dated: January 19, 2018. for professional, technical, or degree- and non-degree-granting), Stephanie Valentine, occupational careers, including those including those offered via distance Acting Director, Information Collection that offer those programs via distance education. Clearance Division, Office of the Chief Privacy education. Officer, Office of Management. Compliance Report Applications for Renewal of [FR Doc. 2018–01233 Filed 1–23–18; 8:45 am] Recognition 1. American Psychological BILLING CODE 4000–01–P Association. Compliance report 1. Association of Advanced includes the following: (1) Findings Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools, identified in the September 22, 2016 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Accreditation Commission. Scope of letter from the senior Department Recognition: The accreditation and official following the June 23, 2016 Office of Postsecondary Education; preaccreditation (‘‘Correspondent’’ and NACIQI meeting available at: https:// Solicitation of Third-Party Comments ‘‘Candidate’’) within the United States opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/ Concerning the Performance of of advanced rabbinical and Talmudic finalstaffreports.cfm, (2) Review under Accrediting Agencies schools. 34 CFR 602.19(a), and § 602.20(b). AGENCY: Accreditation Group, Office of 2. Academy of Nutrition and Scope of Recognition: The Postsecondary Education, U.S. Dietetics, Accreditation Council for accreditation in the United States of Department of Education. Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. doctoral programs in clinical, ACTION: Call for written third-party Scope of Recognition: The accreditation counseling, school and combined daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES comments. and pre-accreditation, within the United professional-scientific psychology; States, of Didactic and Coordinated doctoral internship programs in health SUMMARY: This notice provides Programs in Dietetics at both the service psychology; and postdoctoral information to members of the public on undergraduate and graduate level, post- residency programs in health service submitting written comments for baccalaureate Dietetic Internships, and psychology. The preaccreditation in the accrediting agencies currently Dietetic Technician Programs at the United States of doctoral internship undergoing review for purposes of associate degree level, and for its programs in health service psychology; VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:25 Jan 23, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\24JAN1.SGM 24JAN1

3336 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 16 / Wednesday, January 24, 2018 / Notices and postdoctoral residency programs in within the United States of advanced recognition of a specific accrediting health service psychology. rabbinical and Talmudic schools. agency or State approval agency. 2. American Bar Association Requested Scope: The accreditation of Electronic Access to this Document: Compliance report includes the advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic The official version of this document is following: (1) Findings identified in the institutions in the United States which the document published in the Federal October 28, 2016 letter from the senior grant postsecondary degrees such as Register. Free internet access to the Department official following the June Associate, Baccalaureate, Masters, official edition of the Federal Register 23, 2016 NACIQI meeting available at: Doctorate, First Rabbinic and First and the Code of Federal Regulations is https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/ Talmudic degrees. available via the Federal Digital System finalstaffreports.cfm, (2) Review under at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you 34 CFR 602.15(a)(1), § 602.15(a)(2), Renewal—State Agency for the can view this document, as well as all § 602.15(a)(3), § 602.16(a)(1)(viii), and Approval of Public Postsecondary other documents of this Department § 602.17(b). Vocational Education published in the Federal Register, in Scope of Recognition: The Puerto Rico State Agency for the text or Adobe Portable Document accreditation throughout the United Approval of Public Postsecondary Format (PDF). To use PDF, you must States of programs in legal education Vocational, Technical Institutions and have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is that lead to the first professional degree Programs available free at the site. You may also in law as well as freestanding law access documents of the Department Submission of Written Comments schools offering such programs. This published in the Federal Register by Regarding a Specific Accrediting recognition also extends to the using the article search feature at: Agency or State Approval Agency Accreditation Committee of the Section www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, Under Review of Legal Education (Accreditation through the advanced search feature at Committee) for decisions involving Written comments about the this site, you can limit your search to continued accreditation (referred to by recognition of a specific accrediting or documents published by the the agency as ‘‘approval’’) of law State agency must be received by Department. schools. February 16, 2018, in the ThirdPartyComments@ed.gov mailbox Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1011c. 3. American Osteopathic Association, Commission on Osteopathic College and include the subject line ‘‘Written Lynn B. Mahaffie, Accreditation Compliance report Comments: (agency name).’’ The email Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, includes the following: (1) Findings must include the name(s), title, Policy, and Innovation. identified in the October 28, 2016 letter organization/affiliation, mailing [FR Doc. 2018–01220 Filed 1–23–18; 8:45 am] from the senior Department official address, email address, and telephone BILLING CODE 4000–01–P following the June 23, 2016 NACIQI number of the person(s) making the meeting available at: https:// comment. Comments should be opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/ submitted as a Microsoft Word DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION finalstaffreports.cfm, (2) Review under document or in a medium compatible [ED–2018–OII–0003] 34 CFR 602.11, § 602.13, § 602.15(a)(3), with Microsoft Word (not a PDF file) § 602.16(a)(1)(i), § 602.16(a)(1)(ii), that is attached to an electronic mail Proposed Waiver and Extension of the § 602.16(a)(1)(iii), § 602.16(a)(1)(iv) message (email) or provided in the body Project Period; DC Opportunity § 602.16(a)(1)(v), § 602.16(a)(1)(vi), of an email message. Comments about Scholarship Program § 602.16(a)(1)(vii) § 602.16(a)(1)(viii) an agency’s recognition after review of § 602.16(a)(1)(ix) § 602.16(a)(1)(x), a compliance report must relate to AGENCY: Office of Innovation and § 602.16(a)(2), § 602.17(a), § 602.19(b), issues identified in the compliance Improvement, Department of Education. § 602.20(a), and § 602.26(b). report and the criteria for recognition ACTION: Proposed waiver and extension 4. Transnational Association Of cited in the senior Department official’s of the project period. Christian Colleges and Schools letter that requested the report, or in the Secretary’s appeal decision, if any. SUMMARY: For projects funded under the Compliance report includes the Comments about the renewal of an DC Opportunity Scholarship Program following: (1) Findings identified in the agency’s recognition based on a review (OSP), the Secretary proposes to waive October 28, 2016 letter from the senior of the agency’s petition must relate to its the requirements of the Education Department official following the June compliance with the Criteria for the Department General Administrative 23, 2016 NACIQI meeting available at: Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, or Regulations that generally prohibit https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/ the Criteria and Procedures for project period extensions involving the finalstaffreports.cfm, (2) Review under Recognition of State Agencies for obligation of additional Federal funds. 34 CFR 602.15(a)(2), and § 602.19(b). Scope of Recognition: The Approval of Nurse Education as A waiver would allow the three-year accreditation and preaccreditation appropriate, which are available at grant funded with fiscal year (FY) 2015 (‘‘Candidate’’ Status) of Christian http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/ funds under the OSP to be continued postsecondary institutions in the United accred/index.html. beyond its original project period with States that offer certificates, diplomas, Only written material submitted by FY 2018 and FY 2019 funds. and associate, baccalaureate, and the deadline to the email address listed DATES: The Department must receive graduate degrees, including institutions in this notice, and in accordance with your comments on or before February that offer distance education. these instructions, become part of the 23, 2018. daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES official record concerning agencies ADDRESSES: Submit your comments Application for an Expansion of Scope scheduled for review and are considered through the Federal eRulemaking Portal Association of Advanced Rabbinical by the Department and NACIQI in their or via postal mail, commercial delivery, and Talmudic Schools, Accreditation deliberations. or hand delivery. We will not accept Commission. Scope of Recognition: The A later Federal Register Notice will comments submitted by fax or by email accreditation and preaccreditation describe how to register to provide oral or those submitted after the comment (‘‘Correspondent’’ and ‘‘Candidate’’) comments at the meeting about the period. To ensure that we do not receive VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:25 Jan 23, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\24JAN1.SGM 24JAN1


Document Created: 2018-10-26 10:00:41
Document Modified: 2018-10-26 10:00:41
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionCall for written third-party comments.
ContactHerman Bounds, Director, Accreditation Group, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 270-01, Washington, DC 20202, telephone: (202) 453-7615, or email: [email protected]
FR Citation83 FR 3335 
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