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Number 28, December 14,
2012
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NATIONAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY AND INTEGRITY (NACIQI) HOLDS MEETING
FOR RECOGNITION REVIEWS
The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality
and Integrity (NACIQI) held a public meeting on December 11-12, 2012 at
the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. NACIQI is
the advisory body that provides recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of
Education on the recognition of accrediting organizations.
Accrediting organizations scheduled for review during
the two-day meeting were:
Petitions for Renew of Recognition of Accrediting
Organizations
Compliance
Reports
Staff reports are available on the U.S. Department of
Education (USDE) Website. Of the 13 non-governmental
accrediting organizations before the committee, six were presenting petitions
for renewal of recognition and seven were presenting compliance reports for
renewal of recognition. The committee followed staff recommendations in most
cases. A summary of the committee's deliberations will likely be posted to the
NACIQI Website later this winter.
CARNEGIE
FOUNDATION LAUNCHES STUDY OF CREDIT HOUR
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
has launched a study of the Carnegie Unit - used
as a time-based measurement of student learning since 1906 - to examine whether
a revised unit, based on competency rather than time, could improve teaching and
learning in high schools, colleges, and universities. The study will seek ideas
and suggestions from a range of stakeholders and will culminate in a report
analyzing the value of the Carnegie Unit in today's educational context and
examining potential consequences of creating a new unit of learning. Announced
on December 4, 2012, the study is funded by a $460,000 grant from the William
and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF THE 2012
ELECTIONS
With the reelection of President Obama, the regulatory
pace experienced by higher education from 2008 to 2012 is likely to continue for
the next four years. A new Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education -
replacing Eduardo Ochoa, who left USDE in July, 2012 - has yet to be
named.
The Senate will be composed of 53 Democrats (with 2
Independents working with them) and 45 Republicans. Because of the increase in
the number of Senate Democrats, some committees may have additional Democrats.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee lost only one
member (Democrat Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico), who will need to be replaced.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is likely to remain as HELP Committee Chair, meaning
the Committee's focus on college cost, for-profit education, student financial
aid and accreditation will likely continue. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee)
is slated to become the senior Republican on the HELP Committee (replacing
Michael Enzi of Wyoming).
The House will be composed of 234 Republicans to 201
Democrats. This means that Republican will remain in control of the House but -
with a higher percentage of Democrats than in the past Congress - additional
Democrats may be added to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Two
Republicans and five Democrats from the current Committee are not returning.
Other current Committee members may move to other assignments, meaning that
there are likely to be a larger number of freshman members of Congress on the
Committee in 2013.
John Kline (R-Minnesota) and George Miller
(D-California) will continue as Committee Chair and Senior Democrat,
respectively. Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) is likely to continue as Chair of
the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, with Ruben Hinojosa
of Texas continuing as Senior Democrat. Several members have noted that student
achievement will continue as a focus for the Committee and the Subcommittee.
CHEA IS
CONTINUING TO FOLLOW ...
CHEA is continuing to follow USDE and Congressional
activities of importance to accreditation. USDE is expected to soon publish a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) addressing teacher preparation issues,
including the TEACH Grant Program and assessment and reporting requirements for
teacher education programs. Previously, USDE requested comments on
Report Cards on State Teacher Credentialing and
Preparation, specifically on the reporting requirements included in
the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. USDE also is expected to announce
late in 2012 or early in 2013 an agenda and meeting dates
for a USDE negotiated rulemaking on federal student aid
programs, to develop proposed regulations designed to prevent fraud within the
context of technologies such as those used in distance
education.
The House Higher Education Subcommittee held hearings in
the summer of 2012 on college costs and federal higher education data reporting
requirements, in advance of the reauthorization of the Higher
Education Act expected to begin in 2013 or thereafter. The Senate HELP Committee
also held a hearing on college costs during the summer of 2012.
Additionally, legislation requiring that non-immigrant foreign students must
attend an institution accredited by a USDE-recognized accrediting organizations
in order to be granted a student visa was passed by the full House of Representatives, with similar legislation
introduced in the Senate. While no Senate action on
this legislation is expected this year, both bills are likely to be reintroduced
when Congress reconvenes in 2013.
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The Federal Update informs CHEA members and
interested parties on federal policy developments related to self-regulation and
peer review. Please direct any inquiries or comments to Jan Friis, CHEA Vice
President for Government Affairs, at friis@chea.org or at (202) 955-6126.
Copyright 2012, Council for Higher Education Accreditation. All rights reserved. | |
