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News and updates

News and updates

What We’re Reading this Week (December 9th-13th)

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

Articles of Impeachment: The House Judiciary Committee has approved two articles of impeachment against President Trump, one for Obstruction of Congress and one for Abuse of Power. After a 14 hour debate lasting well into Thursday night, the Committee voted to send the articles to the full House. Republicans argue the articles are rushed and biased, while Democrats argue impeachment is their constitutional duty. If the full House votes to approve the articles next week, President Trump will be the third US President to be impeached. Live updates at CNN.

Defense Bill to Include Foreign Influence Provisions: The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is set to be passed imminently, will create two new bodies aimed at preventing the theft of sensitive research. One body will be based at the White House and will work to protect research from foreign threats. Meanwhile, another body will be based at the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and will bring together academics, industry leaders, and government officials to discuss how best to protect American research. Full story at Science Magazine.

Brits Go to the Polls: The UK General Elections were on Thursday, December 12th. The Conservative Party led by PM Boris Johnson won a major victory. Updates at BBC.

America Needs Rural Physicians: A special issue of Health Affairs featured research analyzing the trend of rural students entering medical colleges. In a time when rural physicians are desperately needed, the less students from rural areas are applying to medical school. The article notes students from rural areas are more likely to return to practice in their hometown and bring new perspective to medical school classes. Full story at Reuters.

Higher Ed. Associations Support OPT in Letter to State Dept.

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Various higher education associations addressed a letter, dated December 9th, 2019, to Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce expressing concerns about the future of OPT. UW is a member of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU) and Association of American Universities (AAU), which both signed the letter circulated by the American Council on Education. The letter requests that the State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs meet with the Department of Homeland Security and relevant agencies to affirm the future of OPT and address long visa processing times.

Executive Order on Antisemitism

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President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at tackling antisemitism on college campuses. The order gives Jewish persons special protections under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which is enforced by the Department of Education. Under statute, Title VI only gives protection for race, color, or national origin. In a press statement at a White House Hanukkah event, President Trump said colleges would be ineligible for federal funds if they “traffic in anti-Semitic hate”.

NSF Releases JASON Report

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The JASON Report was released yesterday, December 11th. The NSF has hired JASON, an independent science advisory group, to “enhance the agency’s understanding of the threats to basic research posed by foreign governments that have taken actions that violate the principles of scientific ethics and research integrity.” The report details numerous recommendations, including greater scrutiny over conflicts of interest, stricter disclosure rules, and better education for researchers on scientific ethics. The full report can be read here.

Education Dept. Considering Financial Aid Changes

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At a conference in Reno, NV the Department of Education revealed that they are considering some significant changes to student financial aid. The first is that they would give colleges the authority to limit how much debt a student takes on. This would be done at “experimental” college sites. They claim this would shift some of the burden from the federal government onto colleges. Additionally, they are proposing changes which would allow debt to be converted into an income-share agreement or other private, third-party mechanism. A student could potentially end up owing a percentage of future earnings to a third-party, rather than directly to the Department of Education. They also want to introduce “incentives” for students who progress quickly through their program. While the specifics are still murky, we will continue to monitor the situation.