USDE Releases Final Issue Papers; February NACIQI Meeting

Publication Number 112 March 4, 2024

USDE Releases Final Issue Papers; February NACIQI Meeting

The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has published its issue papers and draft regulatory changes for the negotiators to consider in the final round of the Program Integrity and Institutional Quality negotiated rulemaking, which is to be held from March 4 through March 7, 2024. 

As was reported in CHEA’s Federal Update 109 and 111, the USDE’s Institutional Quality and Program Integrity Committee will discuss six topics, three of which impact accreditation: Accreditation, State Authorization, and Distance Education. Although there are improvements in the regulatory text, some provisions remain problematic. 

All negotiated rulemaking sessions will be virtual, and the public will be able to view the meetings. 

This is the final negotiated rulemaking session. After this session, USDE will consider the negotiator’s comments and draft a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The NPRM will be published in the Federal Register, allowing stakeholders and the public to provide comments on the NPRM. USDE will review the submitted comments and make edits to the NPRM as it deems appropriate. The USDE goal is to publish the final rule by November 1, 2024, with implementation set for July 1, 2025.

National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity Met in February 2024

The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) met as a committee and as education staff in February 2024. NACIQI is the advisory board to the Secretary of Education (USDE) that provides recommendations on the recognition of accrediting organizations by USDE. Assistant Secretary of Post-secondary Education Dr. Nasser Paydar spoke to NACIQI addressing the USDE’s work on the FAFSA application, negotiated rulemaking on accreditation, distance education and state authorization, the debt relief negotiated rulemaking, accreditation dashboards and the H.R.2957 - College Transparency Act. Click here for a report of the meeting, which will be available in a few weeks. 

The NACIQI Policy discussion topics included:

  1. The process for a new accreditor to get recognition from USDE. The timeline is four to six years. 
  2. The accreditation negotiated rulemaking. 
  3. A presentation on academic freedom and a question about the roles accreditors and NACIQI should play in the review of academic freedom.
  4. Accreditation for education providers that have some programs excluded from its accreditation. 
  5. A concern about an accreditor’s practice preceding the accreditor’s written policy. 

A transcript of the meeting will be available shortly.