Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU)

Federal Register, Volume 79 Issue 81 (Monday, April 28, 2014)

Federal Register Volume 79, Number 81 (Monday, April 28, 2014)

Rules and Regulations

Pages 23259-23260

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2014-09559

Page 23259

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

7 CFR Part 3434

RIN 0524-AA39

Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU)

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This rule updates the list of institutions that are granted HSACU certification by the Secretary and are eligible for HSACU programs for the period starting October 1, 2013 and ending September 30, 2014.

DATES: This rule is effective April 28, 2014 and applicable October 1, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Lockhart; Senior Policy Specialist; National Institute of Food and Agriculture; U.S. Department of Agriculture; STOP 2299; 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-2299; Voice: 202-559-5088; Fax: 202-401-7752; Email: mlockhart@nifa.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

HSACU Institutions for Fiscal Year 2014

This rule makes changes to the existing list of institutions in Appendix B of 7 CFR part 3434. The list of institutions is amended to reflect the institutions that are granted HSACU certification by the Secretary and are eligible for HSACU programs for the period starting October 1, 2013, and ending September 30, 2014.

Certification Process

As stated in 7 CFR 3434.4, an institution must meet the following criteria to receive HSACU certification: (1) Be a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), (2) offer agriculture-related degrees, (3) not appear on the Excluded Parties List, (4) be accredited, and (5) award at least 15% of agriculture-related degrees to Hispanic students over the two most recent academic years.

NIFA obtained the latest report from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics that lists all HSIs and the degrees conferred by these institutions (completions data) during the 2011-12 academic year. NIFA used this report to identify HSIs that conferred a degree in an instructional program that appears in Appendix A of 7 CFR part 3434 and to confirm that over the 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years at least 15% of the degrees in agriculture-

related fields were awarded to Hispanic students. NIFA further confirmed that these institutions were nationally accredited and did not have any exclusions listed in the System for Award Management (https://www.sam.gov).

The updated list of HSACUs is based on (1) completions data from 2010-11 and 2011-12, and (2) enrollment data from Fall 2012. NIFA identified 97 institutions that will meet the eligibility criteria and receive HSACU certification for FY 2014 (October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014).

Declaration of Intent To Apply for NLGCA Designation

As set forth in Section 7101 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79), which amends 7 U.S.C. 3103, an institution that is eligible to be designated as an HSACU may notify the Secretary of its intent not to be considered an HSACU. To opt out of designation as an HSACU, an authorized official at the institution must submit a declaration of intent not to be considered an HSACU to NIFA by email at NLGCA.status@nifa.usda.gov. In accordance with Section 7101, a declaration by an institution not to be considered an HSACU shall remain in effect until September 30, 2018. Institutions that opt out of HSACU designation will have the option to apply for designation as a Non-Land Grant College of Agriculture (NLGCA) institution. To be eligible for NLGCA designation, institutions must be public colleges or universities offering baccalaureate or higher degrees in the study of food and agricultural sciences, as defined in 7 U.S.C. 3103. Instructions regarding the process to apply for NLGCA designation will be posted at www.nifa.usda.gov by May 1, 2014.

Appeal Process

As set forth in 7 CFR 3434.8, NIFA will permit HSIs that are not granted HSACU certification to submit an appeal within 30 days of the publication of this notice.

Classification

This rule relates to internal agency management. Accordingly, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, notice of proposed rulemaking and opportunity for comment are not required, and this rule may be made effective less than 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. This rule also is exempt from the provisions of Executive Order 12866. This action is not a rule as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act, as amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., or the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., and thus is exempt from the provisions of those Acts. This rule contains no information collection or recordkeeping requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 3434

Administrative practice and procedure; Agricultural research, education, extension; Hispanic-Serving Institutions; Federal assistance.

Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended accordingly as set forth below:

PART 3434--HISPANIC-SERVING AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES CERTIFICATION PROCESS

0

1. The authority citation for part 3434 continues to read as follows:

   Authority: 7 U.S.C. 3103.

   0

2. Revise Appendix B to part 3434 to read as follows:

   Appendix B to Part 3434--List of HSACU Institutions, 2013-2014

   The institutions listed in this appendix are granted HSACU certification by the Secretary and are eligible for HSACU programs for the period starting October 1, 2013, and ending September 30, 2014. Institutions are listed alphabetically under the state of the school's

   Page 23260

   location, with the campus indicated where applicable.

   Arizona (4)

   Central Arizona College

   Cochise College

   Phoenix College

   Pima Community College

   California (37)

   Allan Hancock College

   Bakersfield College

   California State Polytechnic University--Pomona

   California State University--Channel Islands

   California State University--Fresno

   California State University--Monterey Bay

   California State University--San Bernardino

   Chaffey College

   College of the Desert

   College of the Sequoias

   Fullerton College

   Glendale Community College

   Golden West College

   Hartnell College

   Imperial Valley College

   Los Angeles Pierce College

   Mendocino College

   Merced College

   MiraCosta College

   Modesto Junior College

   Monterey Peninsula College

   Mt. San Antonio College

   Mt. San Jacinto Community College District

   National University

   Orange Coast College

   Porterville College

   Reedley College

   Saint Mary's College of California

   San Diego Mesa College

   San Joaquin Delta College

   Santa Ana College

   Santa Barbara City College

   Southwestern College

   University of California--Merced

   West Hills College Coalinga

   Whittier College

   Woodland Community College

   Colorado (1)

   Trinidad State Junior College

   Connecticut (1)

   Norwalk Community College

   Florida (3)

   Florida International University

   Miami Dade College

   Nova Southeastern University

   Illinois (3)

   City Colleges of Chicago--Harold Washington College

   Dominican University

   Triton College

   New Jersey (1)

   Bergen Community College

   New Mexico (7)

   Central New Mexico Community College

   Mesalands Community College

   New Mexico Highlands University

   Northern New Mexico College

   Santa Fe Community College

   University of New Mexico--Main Campus

   Western New Mexico University

   New York (3)

   CUNY Bronx Community College

   CUNY LaGuardia Community College

   Mercy College

   Puerto Rico (14)

   Bayamon Central University

   Inter American University of Puerto Rico--Aguadilla

   Inter American University of Puerto Rico--Bayamon

   Inter American University of Puerto Rico--Metro

   Inter American University of Puerto Rico--Ponce

   Inter American University of Puerto Rico--San German

   Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico--Ponce

   Universidad Del Turabo

   Universidad Metropolitana

   University of Puerto Rico--Arecibo

   University of Puerto Rico--Humacao

   University of Puerto Rico--Medical Sciences Campus

   University of Puerto Rico--Rio Piedras Campus

   University of Puerto Rico--Utuado

   Texas (19)

   Houston Community College

   Howard College

   Lee College

   Midland College

   Palo Alto College

   Richland College

   Saint Edward's University

   Southwest Texas Junior College

   Texas A&M International University

   Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi

   Texas A&M University--Kingsville

   Texas State Technical College--Harlingen

   University of Texas at Brownsville

   University of Texas at El Paso

   University of Texas at San Antonio

   University of Texas--Pan American

   University of Houston

   University of St. Thomas

   University of the Incarnate Word

   Washington (4)

   Big Bend Community College

   Columbia Basin College

   Wenatchee Valley College

   Yakima Valley Community College

   Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of April, 2014.

   Sonny Ramaswamy,

   Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

   FR Doc. 2014-09559 Filed 4-25-14; 8:45 am

   BILLING CODE 3410-22-P