Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, State Agencies for Approval of Public Postsecondary Vocational Education, and State Agencies for Approval of Nurse Education

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, State Agencies for Approval

of Public Postsecondary Vocational Education, and State Agencies for

Approval of Nurse Education

agency: Department of Education.

action: Request for comments on agencies applying to the Secretary for

initial or renewed recognition.

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dates: Commenters should submit their written comments by August 3,

1998 to the address below.

for further information contact: Karen W. Kershenstein, Director,

Accreditation and Eligibility Determination Division, U.S. Department

of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 3915 ROB-3,

Washington, DC 20202-5244, telephone: (202) 708-7417. Individuals who

use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal

Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8399 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.,

Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

submission of third-party comments: The Secretary of Education

recognizes, as reliable authorities as to the quality of education

offered by institutions or programs within their scope, accrediting

agencies and State approval agencies for public postsecondary

vocational education and nurse education that meet certain criteria for

recognition. The purpose of this notice is to invite interested third

parties to present written comments on the agencies listed in this

notice that have applied for initial or continued recognition. A

subsequent Federal Register notice will announce the meeting and invite

individuals and/or groups to submit requests for oral presentation

before the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and

Integrity (the ``Advisory Committee'') on the agencies being reviewed.

That notice, however, does not constitute another call for written

comment. This notice is the only call for written comment.

All comments received in response to this notice will be reviewed

by Department staff as part of its evaluation of the agencies'

compliance with the Secretary's Criteria for Recognition. In order for

Department staff to give full consideration to the comments received

and to address them in the staff analyses that will be presented to the

Advisory Committee at its December 1998 meeting, the comments must

arrive at the address listed above not later than August 3, 1998.

Comments received after the deadline will be reviewed by Department

staff, which will take action, as appropriate, either before or after

the meeting, should the comments suggest that an accrediting agency is

not acting in accordance with the Secretary's Criteria for Recognition.

All comments must related to the Secretary's Criteria for the

Recognition of Accrediting Agencies. Comments pertaining to the

agencies whose interim reports will be reviewed must be restricted to

the concerns raised in the Secretary's letter for which the report is

requested.

The Advisory Committee advises the Secretary of Education on the

recognition of accrediting agencies and State approval agencies. The

Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet December 7-9, 1998 in

Washington, DC. All written comments in response to this notice that

are received by the Department by the deadline will be considered by

both the Advisory Committee and the Secretary. Comments received after

the deadline, as indicated previously, will be reviewed by Department

staff, which will take follow-up action, as appropriate, either before

or after the meeting. Commenters whose comments are received after the

deadline will be notified by staff of the disposition of those

comments.

The following agencies will be reviewed during the December 1998

meeting of the Advisory Committee:

Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies

Petition for Initial Recognition

1. Northwestern Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on

Schools (requested scope of recognition: The accreditation and

preaccreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') of schools offering

non-degree, postsecondary education in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada,

Oregon, Utah, and Washington)

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, private medical assistant programs, public and

private medical laboratory technician programs, and allied health

programs leading to the Associate of Applied Science and the Associate

of Occupational Science degree. Requested expansion of scope: The

accreditation of institutions offering predominantly allied health

education programs. ``Predominantly'' is defined by the agency as

follows: At least 70 percent of the number of active programs offered

are in the allied health area, and the number of students enrolled in

those programs exceeds 50 percent of the institution's full-time

equivalent (FTE) students, or at least 70 percent of the FTE students

enrolled at the institution are in allied health programs)

2. National Environmental Health Science and Protection

Accreditation Council (requested scope of recognition: the

accreditation and preaccreditation (``Preaccreditation'') of

baccalaureate programs in environmental health science and protection)

3. National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (requested

scope of recognition: The accreditation of programs in practical

nursing, and diploma, associate, baccalaureate and higher degree nurse

education programs)

4. New York State Board of Regents (requested scope of recognition:

The accreditation (registration) of collegiate degree-granting programs

or curricula offered by institutions of higher education in the state

of New York and of credit-bearing certificate and diploma programs

offered by degree-granting institutions of higher education in the

state of New York)

[[Page 33638]]

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 initial or renewed recognition

to the agency)--

1. Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of

Technology

2. American Academy for Liberal Education

3. American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal

Education and Admissions to the Bar

4. American Board of Funeral Service Education, Committee on

Accreditation

5. American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation

6. American Psychological Association, Committee on Accreditation

7. American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education

8. Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools,

Accreditation Commission

9. The Council on Chiropractic Education, Commission on

Accreditation

10. Council on Education or Public Health

11. Liaison Committee on Medical Education

12. Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education,

Commission on Accreditation

13. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting

Commission for Schools

State Agencies Recognized for the Approval of Public Postsecondary

Vocational Education

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition

1. Oklahoma State Board of Vocational and Technical Education

2. Utah State Board for Vocational Education

State Agency Recognized for the Approval of Nurse Education

Petition for Renewal of Recognition

1. Iowa Board of Nursing

2. Maryland Board of Nursing

Federal Agencies Seeking Degree-Granting Authority

In accordance with the Federal policy governing the granting of

academic degrees by Federal agencies (approved by a letter from the

Director, Bureau of the Budget, to the Secretary, Health Education, and

Welfare, dated December 23, 1954), the Secretary is required to

establish a review committee to advise the Secretary concerning any

legislation that maybe proposed that would authorize the granting of

degrees by a Federal agency. The review committee forwards its

recommendation concerning a Federal agency's proposed degree-granting

authority to the Secretary, who then forwards the committee's

recommendation and the Secretary's recommendation to the Office of

Management and Budget for review and transmittal to the Congress. The

Secretary uses the Advisory Committee as the review committee required

for his purpose. Accordingly, the Advisory Committee will review the

following institution at this meeting:

Proposed Master's Degree-Granting Authority

1. Air University Montgomery, AL; Air War College (request to award

the master's degree in Strategic Studies) and Air Command and Staff

College (request to award the master's degree in Operational Military

Arts and Science)

2. Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, Anniston AL (request

to award the master's of science in Forensic Psychophysiology)

Public Inspection of Petitions and Third-Party Comments

All petitions and interim reports, and those third-party comments

received in advance of the meeting, will be available for public

inspection and copy at the U.S. Department of Education, ROB-3, Room

3915, 7th and D Streets, SW., Washington, DC 20202-5244, telephone

(202) 708-7417 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday

through Friday, until November 15, 1998. They will be available again

after the December 7-9 Advisory Committee meeting. It is preferred that

an appointment be made in advance of such inspection or copying.

Dated: June 16, 1998.

David A. Longanecker,

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.

[FR Doc. 98-16395 Filed 6-18-98; 8:45 am]

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