Notice2024-25785
Accrediting Agencies Currently Undergoing Review for the Purpose of Recognition by the U.S. Secretary of Education
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Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 6, 2024
Issuing agencies
Education Department
Abstract
This notice provides information to members of the public on submitting written comments for accrediting agencies currently undergoing review for the purpose of recognition by the U.S. Secretary of Education.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 215 (Wednesday, November 6, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88046-88047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25785]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Accrediting Agencies Currently Undergoing Review for the Purpose
of Recognition by the U.S. Secretary of Education
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 the purpose 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, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20202, telephone:
(202) 453-7615, or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#59313c2b343837773b362c373d2a193c3d773e362f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e08885928d818ece828f958e8493a08584ce878f96">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This request for written third-party
comments concerning the performance of accrediting agencies under
review by the Secretary of Education is required by 496(n)(1)(A) of the
Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended, and pertains to the
winter 2026 meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional
Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). The meeting date and location have not
been determined but will be announced in a later Federal Register
notice. In addition, a later Federal Register notice will describe how
to register to provide oral comments at the meeting. Note: Written
comments about the specific agencies identified below will not be
accepted or provided to NACIQI members if those comments are submitted
after the deadline provided in this Federal Register notice, which is
December 6, 2024. Written comments must be submitted to the mailbox
identified below. Do not submit written comments directly to Department
officials or to NACIQI members.
Agencies Under Review and Evaluation: The Department requests
written comments from the public on the following accrediting agencies,
which are currently undergoing review and evaluation by the
Accreditation Group, and which will be reviewed at the winter 2026
NACIQI meeting.
The agencies are listed by the type of application each agency has
submitted. Please note, each agency's current scope of recognition is
indicated below. If any agency requested to expand its scope of
recognition, both the current scope of recognition and the requested
scope of recognition are identified below.
Applications for Renewal of Recognition
1. American Board of Funeral Service Education. Scope of
Recognition: The accreditation of institutions and programs awarding
diplomas, associate degrees, and bachelor's degrees in funeral service
or mortuary science, including the accreditation of distance learning
courses and programs offered by these programs and institutions.
Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: The United States.
2. Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. Scope of
Recognition: The accreditation of postsecondary, non degree-granting
institutions and degree-granting institutions in the United States,
including those granting associate, baccalaureate and master's degrees,
that are predominantly organized to educate students for occupational,
trade and technical careers, and including institutions that offer
programs via distance education. Geographic Area of Accrediting
Activities: The United States.
3. Association of Institutions of Jewish Studies. Scope of
Recognition: The accreditation of postsecondary institutions of Jewish
Studies within the United States exclusively offering educational
programs leading to a certificate, associate degree, baccalaureate
degree or their equivalent credential in Jewish Studies or Classical
Torah Studies. Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: The United
States.
4. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Scope of
Recognition: The accreditation and pre-accreditation (Accreditation
Candidate) of education programs in audiology and speech-language
pathology leading to the first professional or clinical degree at the
master's or doctoral level, and the accreditation of these programs
offered via distance education. Geographic Area of Accrediting
Activities: The United States.
5. Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation. Scope of
Recognition: The accreditation of institutions and programs that award
postsecondary certificates, postsecondary diplomas, academic associate
degrees and occupational associate degrees, in the practice of massage
therapy, bodywork, and aesthetics/esthetics and skin care, and programs
that include distance education. Geographic Area of Accrediting
Activities: The United States.
6. Council on Naturopathic Medical Education. Scope of Recognition:
The accreditation and preaccreditation of graduate-level, four-year
naturopathic medical education programs leading to the Doctor of
Naturopathic Medicine (NMN) or Doctor of Naturopathy (ND), including
those offered by distance education. Geographic Area of Accrediting
Activities: The United States.
7. Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education. Scope of
Recognition: The accreditation of Montessori teacher education
institutions and programs including those offered via distance
education. Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: The United
States.
8. Midwifery Education Accreditation Council. Scope of Recognition:
The accreditation and pre-accreditation of direct-entry midwifery
educational institutions and programs conferring degrees and
certificates, including the accreditation of such programs offered via
distance learning. Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: The
United States.
9. National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences.
Scope of Recognition: The accreditation of postsecondary schools and
departments of cosmetology arts and sciences and massage therapy,
including those offered via distance education. Geographic Area of
Accrediting Activities: The United States.
10. National League for Nursing, Commission for Nurse Education
Accreditation. Scope of Recognition: The preaccreditation and
accreditation of nursing education programs which offer a certification
or diploma or degree at the practical/vocational, diploma, associate,
baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels, including those offered
via distance education. This recognition extends to the Appeals Panel.
Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities:
[[Page 88047]]
The United States. Requested Scope of Recognition: The
preaccreditation and accreditation of nursing education programs which
offer a certification or diploma or degree at the practical/vocational,
diploma, associate, baccalaureate, masters, post-graduate, and doctoral
levels, including those offered via distance education. This
recognition extends to the Appeals Panel. Geographic Area of
Accrediting Activities: The United States.
Compliance Reports
1. Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools. Scope
of Recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation
(``Correspondent'' and ``Candidate'') of advanced rabbinical and
Talmudic schools to include Associate, Baccalaureate, Masters,
Doctorate, and First Rabbinic and First Talmudic degree programs.
Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: The United States. The
Compliance report includes findings of noncompliance with the criteria
in 34 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 602 identified in the
November 3, 2023, letter from the senior Department official following
the July 15,2023, NACIQI meeting, available at: <a href="https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents">https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents</a>.
2. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for
Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. Scope of Recognition: The
accreditation and pre-accreditation of Didactic and Coordinated
Programs in Nutrition and Dietetics at both the undergraduate and
graduate level, postbaccalaureate Nutrition and Dietetics Internships,
and Nutrition and Dietetics Technician Programs at the associate degree
level and for its accreditation of such programs offered via distance
education. Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: The United
States. The compliance report includes findings of noncompliance with
the criteria in 34 CFR part 602 identified in the November 3, 2023,
letter from the senior Department official following the July 15, 2023,
NACIQI meeting, available at <a href="https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents">https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents</a>.
3. National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on
Accreditation. Scope of Recognition: The accreditation 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. Geographic Area of Accrediting
Activities: The United States. The compliance report includes findings
of noncompliance with the criteria in 34 CFR part 602 identified in the
November 3, 2023, letter from the senior Department official following
the July 15, 2023, NACIQI meeting, available at <a href="https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents">https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents</a>.
4. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Scope of
Recognition: The accreditation and pre-accreditation (``Candidacy
status'') of institutions, including the accreditation of programs
offered via correspondence education, and distance education within
these institutions. This recognition also extends to the Executive
Committee. Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: The United
States. The compliance report includes findings of noncompliance with
the criteria in 34 CFR part 602 identified in the November 3, 2023,
letter from the senior Department official following the July 15, 2023,
NACIQI meeting, available at <a href="https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents">https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/erecognition/#/public-documents</a>.
Submission of Written Comments Regarding a Specific Accrediting Agency
Under Review
Written comments about the recognition of any of the accrediting
agencies listed above must be received by December 6, 2024, in the
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#396d51504b5d69584b4d407a5654545c574d4a795c5d175e564f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1a4e7273687e4a7b686e63597577777f746e695a7f7e347d756c">[email protected]</span></a> mailbox. Please include in the subject line
``Written Comments: (agency name).'' The electronic mail (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 PDF, Microsoft Word document
or in a medium compatible with Microsoft Word that is attached to an
email or provided in the body of an email message. Comments about an
agency that has submitted a compliance report scheduled for review by
the Department must relate to 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 an agency that
has submitted a petition for initial recognition, renewal of
recognition, or an expansion of scope must relate to the agency's
compliance with the Criteria for the recognition of Accrediting
Agencies or the Criteria for the recognition of state agencies, which
are available at: <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html">https://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html</a>.
Only written materials 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. Written comments about the specific agencies
identified in this Federal Register notice that are submitted after the
deadline will not be considered by the Department or provided to NACIQI
for purposes of the current cycle review. However, comments may be
provided orally at the winter 2026 NACIQI meeting, which has not yet
been scheduled, but which will be announced in a future Federal
Register notice.
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: <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys">www.gpo.gov/fdsys</a>. 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 may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov">www.federalregister.gov</a>. 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; 20 U.S.C. 1099b.
Nasser Paydar,
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2024-25785 Filed 11-5-24; 8:45 am]
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