Correspondence

Dear Secretary Duncan:

The Department of Education (department) has indicated the formation of an interagency task force (task force) for oversight of proprietary institutions of higher education. Additionally, the department has indicated this task force met in May and would seek public input from stakeholders. However, no further information is available regarding the participants or the activities of the task force, even as recent federal sanctions and inquiries are attributed to the workings of the task force.

Pursuant to the Committee’s oversight responsibilities under the rules of the House of Representatives, we request you provide information on the makeup, activities, and plans of the task force. Respectfully, we request that you respond to the following questions by November 3, 2015:

1. Which agencies and offices are participating in the task force, whether as formal members of the task force or informal participants? Who are the lead members and staff from each participating agency or office? Please also list any other participants, and their affiliation, who have participated or may participate in the work of the task force?
2. How were the participating agencies and staff determined?
3. How many in-person or teleconference meetings have been held since the creation of the task force? How many in-person or teleconference meetings were held by the working group that preceded the task force? Please provide the meeting agendas of such meetings. Have any such meetings been publicly noticed or open to the public? Have any smaller group of participants in the task force met to discuss any issues relating to the scope or activities covered by the task force?

To read the full letter to Secretary Duncan, click here.