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News and updates

News and updates

Higher Ed Community Seeking Support for Research and Additional Funds for Institutions in “Phase 4”

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As the push for a “Phase 4” coronavirus bill gains steam, the higher education community has come up with a set of requests for the still-developing package, some of which would augment provisions in “Phase 3” while others would create new sources of funding.

The broader higher education community is jointly advocating for this proposal, which would add approximately $47 billion to the Higher Education Fund that was created in the $2.2-trillion CARES Act.  The request is based on a set of assumptions that the community made in order to craft a timely proposal.

The research university community is making another push for research funding in a Phase 4 package.  In an effort to address a portion of the problems being caused by the pandemic, the group proposal calls for, among other items, $26 billion in the next legislative package to address the various needs in the research enterprise.

What We’re Reading this Week (March 30th-April 3rd, 2020)

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Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

COVID-19: President Trump extended social distancing guidelines through the end of April, current projections indicate as many as 100,000 deaths, and the CDC now recommends Americans wear masks. Live updates at CNN.

Iran Tensions: President Trump has stated that Iranian-backed militia are planning attacks against US interests in Iraq, and warned that there would be a “heavy price” for any attacks. This comes as attacks against US troops and military interests become more brazen. Full story at Washington Post.

Venezuelan President: The US Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The charges accuse Maduro of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. The US does not recognize Maduro as the President of Venezuela. Full story at New York Times.

Arianne Caoili: Armenian chess master Arianne Caoili died this week after being hospitalized due to a car accident. She was a renowned chess player as well as accomplished dancer, model, and entrepreneur. Read more at New York Times.

Daniel Pearl Case: Pakistani authorities have re-arrested four people acquitted of murdering Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Karachi in 2002. The Government of Pakistan has said it will challenge the acquittal. More at Reuters.

NOAA Publishes COVID-19 Guidance for Grant Recipients

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NOAA has made available guidance regarding research impacted due to COVID-19 and suspension of campus operations. Researchers with grants funded by NOAA should review the document to determine reporting requirements and the possibility of extensions. The full document is available here.

 

Dept of Education Releases New Distance Learning Regulations

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The US Department of Education has revealed new rules impacting distance learning; the Distance Learning and Innovation regulation is available in the Federal Register and is now open for a 30 day public comment period. The Department plans to publish a final regulation prior to November 1st, 2020.

The new regulation would implement:

  • Emphasize demonstrated learning over seat time.
  • Remove confusion over whether a course is eligible for Title IV aid by defining “regular and substantive” interaction between students and instructors.
  • Clarify and simplify the requirements for direct assessment programs, including how to determine equivalent credit hours.
  • Add a definition of “juvenile justice facility” to ensure that incarcerated students remain Pell eligible.
  • Allow students enrolled in Title IV, Higher Education Act (HEA)-eligible foreign institutions to complete up to 25% of their programs at an eligible institution in the United States. This provision is particularly important for students temporarily unable to attend courses abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Encourage employer participation in developing educational programs.
  • Create a new, student-centric system for disbursing Title IV, HEA assistance to students in subscription-based programs.
  • Require prompt action by the Department on applications to participate, or continue to participate, as an eligible institution in the HEA, Title IV program. In the past, these applications have been stalled for months or even years.

The Department emphasized that this regulation has been in the works for over a year, although it is now extremely relevant as colleges shift to online learning due to COVID-19.