SA Weekly: September 30
Civic Engagement Policy and Advocacy Supporting the Profession Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement
September 30, 2019
Welcome to SA Weekly, your destination for higher ed news, NASPA research and policy, constituent blogs, and more.
Libraries as Student Success Hubs “A new report analyzing what students need the most found they often chose the library as a top destination for services, including nonacademic services.”
Assessing the Value of an Undergrad Degree “A new study from Academically Adrift's co-author seeks to evaluate a broad range of student experiences and outcomes as well as new ways to measure learning.”
Lifting the Curtain on Income-Share Agreements “Income-share agreements are drawing attention from lawmakers, although relatively few students so far have signed up for the loan alternative. Two organizations with markedly different approaches are looking to change that.”
Jury Sides With Student Accused of Sexual Assault “A former college student has won more than $100,000 in the first jury trial since the Obama administration rewrote rules on how college officials should adjudicate campus sexual violence.”
An Indirect Chilling of Free Speech? “Federal appeals court rules that the University of Michigan's Bias Response Team might not be able to punish students, but it may still have powers that could limit free expression on campus.”
NACAC Agrees to Change Its Code of Ethics "Move is designed to end pressure from Justice Department, but what will the impact be on the admissions landscape?"
Policy Update
National Federal Student Loan Cohort Default Rate Continues to Decline Department of Education Press Release, September 25, 2019
The Department of Education issued a press release last week detailing that overall cohort default rates are in decline. The Department also listed sanctions on fifteen institutions, included by name in the press release.
H.R. 4378: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Health Extenders Act of 2019 Signed into law, September 27, 2019
Just days before the September 30 FY’20 spending deadline, President Trump signed into law a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government running through November 21. The CR will give Congress some additional time to reconcile differences between spending packages in the House and the Senate.
Policy Research & Advocacy
Letter to Senate Leaders Disapproving FY2020 Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill By the American Council on Education (ACE) and 17 other higher education associations, including NASPA, September 24, 2019
While NASPA supported generous discretionary appropriations allocations included in the House Labor-HHS-Education spending bill which passed out of the House Appropriations Committee in June, NASPA has expressed concern along with ACE and other higher education organizations regarding minimal allocations and a proposed rescission of $1.334 billion in Pell Grants found within the Senate version of the bill.
Sign-On Letter Urging for Immediate Passage of FUTURE Act (Senate) By the American Council on Education and 43 other higher education groups, including NASPA, September 24, 2019
The Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act, would extend funding for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programming at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). NASPA has expressed support for the passage of the bill along with other higher education groups in order to avoid the loss of vital Title III funding set to expire on September 30 (today
Regulatory Updates
- Final Rule by the Wage and Hour Division, September 27, 2019
- Department of Labor (DOL), set to go into effect January 1, 2020
Summary from the Federal Register: “The Department of Labor is updating and revising the regulations issued under the Fair Labor Standards Act implementing the exemptions from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees.”
Check out this Lexology article for a quick analysis of the final regulation.
Want to submit comments of your own? Check out NASPA’s Q&A on submitting public comments
Around NASPA
How We Can Better Support Minority Male Initiatives? by Michael A. Couch II, Men and Masculinities Knowledge Community
Professionalism or Socialized White Supremacy? by Ricky Urgo and LaTecia Yarbrough, New Professionals and Graduate Students Knowledge Community