Dear School Owner:
On
February 11, 2003, the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (“NTIA”) announced
that eligibility for .edu Internet addresses would be
expanded to include institutions that are accredited
by agencies on the U.S. Department of Education’s
list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies.
NACCAS subsequently informed its accredited schools
that institutions accredited by the Commission
are entitled to apply for use of a .edu address.
It
has come to our attention that some NACCAS-accredited
schools are attempting to register .edu names other
than the institution’s name approved by NACCAS.
Any such effort is unacceptable and inappropriate for
several reasons. First, it is the intent of the
NTIA that the use of the .edu Internet address be reserved
for the name of the institution, not a name that is
created for marketing, advertising, or other purposes.
Second, NTIA requires that the institution be
accredited by a national accrediting agency recognized
by the Department of Education. NACCAS grants such accreditation
to a specific school name. Accordingly, use of a name
for a .edu address other than the specific name under
which the school was accredited violates this process.
Third, NACCAS believes that the use of a .edu
address constitutes advertising by a school. NACCAS’
policy on advertising is clear: all advertising must
use the name under which accreditation was granted.
The Commission allows use of an abbreviated or shortened
version of the school name where the school is clearly
identifiable as the same institution. If a school intends
to use a shortened version of its name for a .edu address
it must notify NACCAS.
Numerous
interested parties, including NACCAS, worked hard to
ensure that .edu addresses were available to cosmetology
schools. Attempts to use names other than the approved
name of the institution for a .edu address may jeopardize
the use of such addresses by cosmetology schools and
may place the institution’s accreditation in jeopardy. |
