NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY AND INTEGRITY MEETS IN ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) met June 22-24, 2016 in Arlington, Virginia. NACIQI is the advisory body that provides recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Education on the recognition of accrediting organizations. Recognition by USDE affirms that the standards and processes of accrediting organizations and state accreditation approval agencies demonstrate compliance with USDE's criteria.

In advance of the meeting, USDE issued staff reports for all of the accrediting organizations scheduled for review.

NACIQI recommended that recognition be renewed (for varying lengths of time) for the American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation; the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine; the American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar; the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools; the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools; and the American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education. NACIQI recommended withdrawing recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council, Accreditation Committee did not file petitions for renewal of recognition. NACIQI also accepted a compliance report from the Puerto Rico State Agency for the Approval of Public Postsecondary Vocational, Technical Institutions and Programs. Complete information on recommendations by the committee will be available when the transcript of the meeting is released by USDE.

Due to the length of discussion during the meeting, the committee did not review several of the accrediting organizations scheduled, including the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, the Council on Occupational Education, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Accreditation Commission. They will be reviewed at a public telephone meeting of NACIQI (date to be announced in the Federal Register).

USDE PUBLISHES DRAFT GUIDANCE LETTER AND CALL FOR COMMENT ON NEW REQUIREMENTS OF ACCREDITORS

In the April 5, 2016 Federal Register, USDE published notification of a draft guidance letter setting forth a new protocol for federally recognized accrediting organizations to report their accrediting actions to USDE (see Federal Update #52). The notification linked to an Accreditor Letter on Terminology and Reporting and an Excel spreadsheet that would standardize the reports and provide more detail about accrediting decisions made by accreditors. USDE requested public comments on the draft guidance letter by June 6, 2016.

USDE received 13 comments from organizations and individuals, including comments from CHEA, which will be reviewed before USDE issues a final version of the letter. (Click here to view all comments received by USDE.)