SA Weekly: June 24
Civic Engagement Policy and Advocacy Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement
June 24, 2019
Welcome to SA Weekly, your destination for higher ed news, NASPA research and policy, constituent blogs, and more.
States Wade Into Title IX Debate “In departure from Trump administration's approach, Texas Legislature votes to require college officials to report campus sexual misconduct or face criminal penalties. But civil libertarians and some survivor advocates criticize the legislation.”
New Report Says Women Will Soon Be Majority Of College-Educated U.S. Workers “This year women who graduated from college will likely make up a majority of adults with degrees in the U.S. labor force. The increase could signal greater earning potential for women in the future.”
How Dorm Rooms Can Affect Grades “A new study found that slick, apartment-style housing might be aesthetically pleasing but could lower students' grade point averages.”
Democratic Hopefuls Back Pell Grants in Prisons “Most candidates seeking Democratic nomination support repealing ban on federal aid for incarcerated students. One of the few exceptions? Joe Biden, author of the crime law that enacted the ban.”
Larger Donations, Fewer Donors “Last year was a record one for gifts to colleges, but trends about middle-income individuals may point to future problems, report finds.”
The Impact of State Cuts “Study documents real impacts when state appropriations falter.”
Bills Target Academic Espionage “Congress is paying increasing attention to risk of foreign actors stealing American research. Two new bills take very different approaches to addressing the threat -- and universities much prefer one approach over the other.”
Policy Update
State Updates
Enacted on June 14, 2019
The Texas state legislature recently enacted a law to enhance sexual assault prevention and protections for students on campus undergoing a sexual harassment or sexual assault investigation process. The bill requires that institution employees report instances of assault or harassment if they have knowledge, creates a broader definition of sexual harassment than that in the proposed Title IX rule, and require institutions to continue investigations even if an accused student leaves that institution.
Federal Updates
Primary Sponsor: Rep. Rosa DeLauro
Committees: House, Appropriations
The House Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill passed last week on June 19, 2019 with a substantial boost to student aid funding. The measure would increase maximum Pell eligibility, increase funding for the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG), add funding to Federal Work Study, TRIO and GEAR UP, as well as increase funding to Minority Servicing Institutions (MSIs) and the Veterans Student Success Program. Funding allocations are unlikely to be so generous in the Senate version of the bill.
H.R. 3418 – Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt Act (POST GRAD Act)
Primary Sponsor: Rep. Judy Chu
Committees: House, Education and Labor
This measure, which Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) introduced in 2015 and 2017 as well, would reinstate the authority of the Secretary of Education to make Federal Direct Stafford Loans to graduate and professional students through an amendment to the Higher Education Act. The bill, introduced on June 21, 2019 has 16 democratic co-sponsors in the House.
Around NASPA
Here’s Why My Approach to Gen Z will be Different from Millennials by J. Andrew Shepardson, James E. Scott Academy
Top 5: Resources for Inclusive Hiring Practices by Laura Igram, Women in Student Affairs