Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; IHE Considerations Around Program Closure: How External Pressures and Internal Policies Shape Decision Making

Issuing agencies

Abstract

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Department is proposing a new information collection request (ICR).

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 197 (Wednesday, October 14, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 14, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65200-65201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-20975]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2026-SCC-3070]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; IHE 
Considerations Around Program Closure: How External Pressures and 
Internal Policies Shape Decision Making

AGENCY: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional 
Assistance (NCEE), Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Department of 
Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
the Department is proposing a new information collection request (ICR).

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
December 14, 2026.

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the 
information collection listed in this notice, please use <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> by searching the Docket ID number ED-2026-SCC-3070. 
Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted 
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal 
mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> 
site is not available to the public for any reason, the Department will 
temporarily accept comments at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c78e8483a8a4aca2b38aa0b587a2a3e9a0a8b1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e9a0aaad868a828c9da48e9ba98c8dc78e869f">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. 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 National Center for Education 
Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE); Institute of Education 
Sciences; U.S. Department of Education; IES--D Street; Room 10.8.0.D; 
400 Maryland Ave. SW; Washington, DC 20202.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Diana Epstein at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#016568606f602f6471727564686f4164652f666e77"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="701419111e115e1500030415191e3015145e171f06">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

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 the estimated burden of the data 
collection accurate; (2) how might the Department enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (3) 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: IHE Considerations Around Program Closure: How 
External Pressures and Internal Policies Shape Decision Making.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-NEW.
    Type of Review: A new ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 2,160.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 384.
    Abstract: The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) within the U.S. 
Department of Education (ED) requests public comment in advance of a 
request for clearance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to 
conduct new data collection activities for the IHE Considerations 
Around Program Closure: How External Pressures and Internal Policies 
Shape Decision Making study. This is the first and only request for the 
collection of data for this study.
    The purpose of the planned information collection is to understand 
the factors linked to program closure and suspension in U.S. 
institutions of higher education (IHEs), including how IHE policies and 
procedures shape these program decisions. The study will combine extant 
data with new data collection, including a national survey of IHEs that 
appear to have closed or suspended programs since 2022 and structured 
interviews with institutional leaders. This mixed-methods approach will 
reveal patterns of closure, explain decision-making processes, and 
explore how IHE governance and human

[[Page 65201]]

resources (HR) policies play a role in decision making.

Ross Santy,
Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy 
Development.
[FR Doc. 2026-20975 Filed 10-13-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P


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