DC Shuttle …
College Presidents Ask for Solution to Dreamers’ Status. Presidents from almost 800 colleges and universities sent a letter to leaders of Congress, calling on them to “pass a long-term legislative fix as soon as possible to protect Dreamers.” In the letter, presidents argue that “Colleges and universities have seen these remarkable people up close, in our classrooms and as our colleagues and friends. Despite the challenges they face, they have made incredible contributions to our country and its economy and security. They should continue to be able to do so,” according to the press release.
Recommendations on Student-Level Data. The Institute for Higher Education Policy is out with a policy brief arguing that a secure student-level data network managed by the National Center for Education Statistics and informed by data already held by federal agencies could yield more timely, high-quality and complete information about outcomes for today’s college students. The brief describes how such a data system could be put into effect by connecting various metrics already collected by the federal government, establishing a data governance team to include key interest groups and protecting the privacy of student information, Inside Higher Ed reports. Lawmakers have introduced legislation, the College Transparency Act, that would overturn the existing ban on a federal student-level data system.
HELP Committee Advances Ed Dept Nominee. The Senate Health, Education Labor & Pensions (HELP) committee advanced the nomination of Carlos Muñiz for general counsel at the U.S. Department of Education, on a party-line vote. During a hearing last month, committee members questioned Muñiz, a former Florida deputy attorney general, about his role in investigating for-profit colleges in the state as well as his views on federal civil rights protections.
Graduate Students Form Union. Graduate student employees at the University of Chicago voted in favor of unionizing in a two-day election held last week. Students favored unionization 1,103-479, and will organize under Graduate Students United, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. The union will include graduate students at the university who also work as teaching assistants, research assistants and lab assistants. The university had tried to have the vote delayed, the Chicago Tribune reports.
We publish the DC Shuttle each week featuring higher ed news from Washington collected by the New England Council, of which NEBHE is a member. This edition is drawn from the Higher Education Update in the Council’s Weekly Washington Report of Oct. 23, 2017. For more information, please visit: www.newenglandcouncil.com.
[ssba]