Final Rules
OSHA has determined that the amendments to the HCS contained in this final rule enhance the effectiveness of the standard by ensuring that employees are appropriately apprised of the chemical hazards to which they may be exposed. The modifications to the standard include revised criteria for classification of certain health and physical hazards to better capture and communicate the hazards to downstream users; revised provisions for labels (including provisions addressing the labeling of small containers and the relabeling of chemicals that have been released for shipment); amendments related to the contents of SDSs; and new provisions relating to concentrations or concentration ranges being claimed as trade secrets.
Federal Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor
Affected Area: EHS
Proposed Rules
Schedules of Controlled Substances: Rescheduling of Marijuana
The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) proposes to transfer marijuana from schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) to schedule III of the CSA, consistent with the view of the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) that marijuana has a currently accepted medical use as well as HHS’s views about marijuana’s abuse potential and level of physical or psychological dependence. The CSA requires that such actions be made through formal rulemaking on the record after opportunity for a hearing. If the transfer to schedule III is finalized, the regulatory controls applicable to schedule III controlled substances would apply, as appropriate, along with existing marijuana-specific requirements and any additional controls that might be implemented, including those that might be implemented to meet U.S. treaty obligations. If marijuana is transferred into schedule III, the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, and possession of marijuana would remain subject to the applicable criminal prohibitions of the CSA. Any drugs containing a substance within the CSA’s definition of “marijuana” would also remain subject to the applicable prohibitions in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”). DOJ is soliciting comments on this proposal.
Federal Agency: Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice
Affected Area: UAPD, UMC
Comments Due: 7/22/2024
Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education Program
The purpose of the Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education Program (TGIY) is to provide a funding opportunity for organizations that work directly with gang-involved youth to help such youth pursue higher education opportunities that will lead to postsecondary certification or credentials.
Federal Agency: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education
Affected Area: Academic Affairs
Comments Due: 7/8/2024
Postsecondary Student Success Grant
The Department of Education (Department) proposes priorities, requirements, and definitions for use in the Postsecondary Student Success Grant (PSSG) program, Assistance Listing Number 84.116M. The Department may use one or more of these priorities, requirements, and definitions for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2024 and later years. We intend for these priorities, requirements, and definitions to support projects that equitably improve postsecondary student outcomes, including retention, upward transfer, and completions of value, by leveraging data and implementing, scaling, and rigorously evaluating evidence-based activities to support data-driven decisions and actions that lead to credentials that support economic success and further education.
Federal Agency: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education
Affected Area: College of Education
Comments Due: 7/8/2024
Notices
The National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD) at the University of Minnesota and originated by the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) is authorized by Congress in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (777.4) and was established in 2016. The NCCSD College Disability Resource Database is designed to address a gap in information about services and accessibility for college students with disabilities, who make up 19.5% of the undergraduate population. Existing general information about colleges is available in the Department of Education’s online College Navigator and College Affordability and Transparency Center, but the only information about students with disabilities in these databases is the percentage of students registered with campus disability services offices. At this time, this is the only database that provide systematic collection of information about campus-level disability-related services, access, and activities at colleges and universities in the United States. The NCCSD survey asks all U.S. campuses to provide basic information about disability services, accessibility of campus, and disability-related activities that may affect inclusion and the campus climate. The data is available to the public in an accessible and searchable database to help prospective college students and their families make informed decisions during the college search process. Because the database is public, researchers and policymakers are able to utilize the data to gather information about disability and higher education in systematic ways.
Federal Agency: Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), Department of Education (ED)
Affected Area: Office of Disability Services
Comments Due: 7/29/2024
The Direct Subsidized Loan and Direct Unsubsidized Loan Master Promissory Note (Subsidized/Unsubsidized MPN) serves as the means by which an individual agrees to repay a Direct Subsidized Loan and/or Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The Direct PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (PLUS Loan MPN) serves as the means by which an individual applies for and agrees to repay a Direct PLUS Loan. If a Direct PLUS Loan applicant is determined to have an adverse credit history, the applicant may qualify for a Direct PLUS Loan by obtaining an endorser who does not have an adverse credit history. The Endorser Addendum serves as the means by which an endorser agrees to repay the Direct PLUS Loan if the borrower does not repay it. An MPN is a promissory note under which a borrower may receive loans for a single or multiple academic years. The MPN explains the terms and conditions of the loans that are made under the MPN.
Federal Agency: Federal Student Aid (FSA), Department of Education (ED)
Affected Area: Student Financial Aid
Comments Due: 7/29/2024
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), General Administrative Requirements for Assistance Programs (EPA ICR Number 0938.23, OMB Control Number 2030-0020) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through June 30, 2024. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on September 28, 2023 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
Federal Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Affected Area: Student Financial Aid
Comments Due: 6/28/2024
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act), the U.S. Department of Education (Department) publishes this notice of a modified system of records entitled “Aid Awareness and Application Processing” (18-11-21). This system maintains information necessary for the Department to process applications for Federal student financial program assistance under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA); to perform the responsibilities of the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Ombudsman; to provide Federal student loan repayment relief including under the borrower defense to repayment regulations; to notify aid applicants and aid recipients of aid program opportunities and updates under title IV of the HEA via digital communication channels; and to maintain the StudentAid.gov website as the front end for assisting customers with all of their Federal student financial aid needs throughout the student aid lifecycle. The Department’s Digital and Customer Care (DCC) Information Technology (IT) system collects the electronic records maintained in the Aid Awareness and Application Processing (AAAP) system.
Federal Agency: Federal Student Aid, Department of Education
Affected Area: Student Financial Aid
Comments Due: 7/1/2024
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) seeks public comment about strategies and approaches to advancing shareable, interoperable, and reusable clinical decision support (CDS) resources. AHRQ seeks comment on models and possible partnerships to strengthen and sustain CDS Connect as a national hub for clinical decision support. CDS Connect enables the creation of standards-based CDS resources (sometimes called CDS “artifacts”) and the integration of evidence-based care data into clinical practice through electronic health systems and applications. Established in 2016, CDS Connect has steadily grown in functionality and use. It enjoys an active following of diverse stakeholders and users, including various electronic health record (EHR) developers, CDS developers, other health information technology (health IT), healthcare advocacy organizations, federal and local government representatives, clinicians, patients, and caregivers. CDS Connect offers a repository of CDS artifacts, a standards-based CDS Authoring Tool, and multiple open-source tools and resources (available on the CDS Connect Technical Resources web page).
Federal Agency: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of Health and Human Services
Affected Area: CCHS, UMC
Comments Due: 7/31/2024
Inventorship Guidance for AI-Assisted Inventions
On February 13, 2024, the USPTO published guidance titled “Inventorship Guidance for AI-Assisted Inventions,” to provide clarity for USPTO stakeholders and personnel, including the Central Reexamination Unit and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, on how the USPTO will analyze inventorship issues now that artificial intelligence (AI) systems, including generative AI, are playing a greater role in the innovation process (89 FR 10043, February 13, 2024). After the comment period for the guidance closed, the USPTO became aware of some continued stakeholder interest in submitting comments on the guidance. Therefore, the USPTO is reopening the written comment period for the guidance to ensure that all stakeholders have a sufficient opportunity to submit comments. The USPTO will also treat as timely any comments received between the original comment period deadline of May 13, 2024, and the publication date of this notice.
Federal Agency: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce
Affected Area: Patents and Trademarks
Comments Due: 6/20/2024
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is providing notice to the public that the WHD sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled “Records to be Kept by Employers—Fair Labor Standards Act,” has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). WHD is notifying the public that the information collection has been revised and extended effective immediately through May 31, 2027.
Federal Agency: Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor
Affected Area: HR
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has enforcement responsibilities under several civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act. To meet these responsibilities, OCR collects assurances of compliance from applicants for Federal financial assistance from, and applicants for funds made available through, the Department of Education, as required by regulations. These entities include, for example, State educational agencies, local education agencies, and postsecondary educational institutions. If a recipient violates one or more of these civil rights laws, OCR and the Department of Justice can use the signed assurances of compliance in an enforcement proceeding.
Federal Agency: Office of Civil Rights (OCR), Department of Education (ED)
Affected Area: EEO/Title IX, Student Financial Aid
Comments Due: 7/15/2024
The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), established the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program under Title IV, Parts B and D respectively. The HEA provides for a maximum loan amount that a borrower can receive per year and in total. If a borrower receives more than the maximum amount, the borrower becomes ineligible for further Title IV aid (including Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Work-Study, and Teacher Education Assistance for Higher Education (TEACH) Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants) unless the borrower repays the excess amount or agrees to repay the excess amount according to the terms and conditions of the promissory note that the borrower signed. Agreeing to repay the excess amount according to the terms and conditions of the promissory note that the borrower signed is called reaffirmation, which is the subject of this collection. This renewal without change of the information collection is necessary for the Department of Education (the Department), as a holder of some FFEL Program loans and all Direct Loans, and all FFEL Program lenders to capture the borrowers formal agreement to repay any excess amount of FFEL or Direct Loan program loans that the borrower received according to the terms and conditions of the promissory note the borrower signed. The form has not been changed since its last update.
Federal Agency: Federal Student Aid (FSA), Department of Education (ED)
Affected Area: Student Financial Aid
Comments Due: 7/11/2024
Items of Interest
Patent and Trademark Public Advisory Committees
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)—America’s Innovation Agency—is seeking nominations for up to three members of its Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) to advise the Director of the USPTO on patent policy, and for up to three members of its Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC) to advise the Director on trademark policy. Each new member, who can serve remotely, will serve a three-year term starting December 1, 2024. The members represent the interests of the public and the stakeholders of the USPTO.
Nominations Due: 7/5/2024
The Litigation After the Protest Storm
After tense campus protests over the Israel-Hamas War resulted in hundreds of arrests and suspensions, universities are facing a wave of lawsuits in the fallout.
New College Classification Will Measure Socioeconomic Mobility
Proposed changes to Carnegie Classification would categorize institutions based on their enrollment of low-income and minoritized students and learners’ post-college earnings.
Navigating Student Data Privacy in Higher Education
Safeguarding student data and fostering trust around data collection demands a comprehensive approach with robust security measures, strict adherence to privacy laws, clear policies, and continuous staff training.
Forging the Future: Five Considerations for Developing Leaders at Your Institution
Many have written, studied, and offered advice on the skills higher education leaders need to be successful, and in the wake of COVID-19, some of the needs have shifted and some have reached a fever pitch. Burnout, enrollment declines, artificial intelligence, and political and cultural polarization are just some of the external factors a leader needs to navigate. Internally, there are staffing and salary freezes, politics, racialized hierarchies, and tenure battles – it’s no wonder many institutions are struggling with recruiting and retaining key faculty and staff1.
South Dakota Bans Pronouns, Tribal Affiliations in University Email Signatures
Civil liberties advocates and students say the South Dakota Board of Regents’ new policy is part of a larger effort to “erase queer people from the public university system.”
Foreign Financial Disclosure Report
In accordance with Section 10339B, Foreign Financial Support, of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. § 19040), each institution of higher education that receives NSF funding must disclose annually, all “current financial support, the value of which is $50,000 or more, including gifts and contracts, received directly or indirectly from a foreign source” which is associated with a foreign country of concern. See Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) Chapter VII.D.3 for additional information.
The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (Council or PCSFN) is calling for nominations from the public for its three awards—the Lifetime Impact Award, the Community Leadership Award, and the PCSFN Hero Award. Nominations will be accepted through July 1, 2024.
Alex Rockey recommends eight principles for transforming academic access for them through mobile-friendly courses.
Lawmakers Sought to Mandate Class on Founding Documents. What Were Professors to Do?
Conservative groups are pushing civics requirements in higher education, not just K-12. In North Carolina, undergraduates now must study the founding documents. Will other states follow?
Request for Nominations for Mobile Sources Technical Review Subcommittee (MSTRS)
The MSTRS is a federal advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463. The MSTRS provides the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC) with independent advice, counsel and recommendations on the scientific and technical aspects of programs related to mobile source air pollution and its control.
Nominations Due: 7/31/2024
Solicitation of Nominations for Membership on the Space Weather Advisory Group (SWAG)
Pursuant to the Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act of and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the Space Weather Interagency Working Group (interagency working group), requests nominations for membership on the SWAG.
Nominations Due: 6/30/2024
National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation; Request for Nominations
The purpose of collecting nomination information is for the Secretary of Education to review nominations. The Secretary is required by section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), at 20 U.S.C. 1002(a)(2)(B), to establish a panel of medical experts. The nomination information will be used to evaluate, select, and appoint individuals for membership on the NCFMEA and conduct necessary ethics vetting and ethics training for nominees who are appointed to serve on the NCFMEA. Finally, the nomination information will be used to communicate with nominees and, if appointed, communicate with appointees to conduct the business of the NCFMEA.
Nominations Due: 7/20/2024
New ChatGPT Version Aiming at Higher Ed
ChatGPT Edu, emerging after initial partnerships with several universities, is prompting both cautious optimism and worries.
Lost in Translation? AI Adds Hope and Concern to Language Learning
Foreign language classes have seen declines for years. AI could hasten—or help—it.
‘Is Our System of Free Speech Failing Us?’
As the academic year comes to a close, the wave of pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests that consumed college campuses across the country may be dying down, but discussions of their effect on anti-discrimination, free speech and academic freedom policies are not.
Lack of federal R&D support challenges AI innovation, White House official warns (FedScoop)
The director of the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy warned in a call with reporters on Wednesday that support for federal research and development organizations remains a challenge for promoting the government’s artificial intelligence goals. In a response to a question from FedScoop, Arati Prabhakar — who leads OSTP and serves as a science adviser to the president — said that funding for the national labs and other institutions involved with AI issues is an area of continued concern. Those comments come after a May report from her office focused on how aging facilities could threaten U.S. goals on emerging technology, including AI.
House Republicans Advance Resolution to Block New Title IX Regs
In a busy Thursday meeting, the education committee also advanced the first legislation to combat antisemitism on campuses and block student athletes from unionizing. But LGBTQ+ protections sparked the hottest debate.
Federal Judge Blocks Title IX Rule in Four States
Finding that four states are likely to succeed in their lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s new Title IX regulations, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction Thursday that prevents the rule from taking effect in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho.
Coursera Launches AI Plagiarism Detector
Institutional interest prompted the creation of the new AI tools even as debate rages over AI verification.
House Republicans Threaten Colleges’ Federal Funding With New Investigations
Six House committees will probe 10 colleges’ responses to antisemitism. Is it a serious effort or a politicized “fishing expedition”?
Policies
| Posting Date | Department | Contact | Name | Effective Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/11/2024 | Student Account Services | Kristy Pritchett | Credit Card Policy | 1/19/2015 | Revised Policy: Scope is being c hanged to include other areas that will utilize The University of Alabama merchant accounts (MID). Scope change to be more inclusive of areas and entities that use UA’s MIDs. |
| 6/11/2024 | Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) | Juliette Botoklo Commodore | Laboratory Decommissioning Policy | 3/27/2023 | Revised Policy: Links have been updated and one new link included for a newly created Laboratory Decommissioning Form to facilitate the decommissioning process. |
| 6/11/2024 | Human Resources | Susan Norton | Compensation During Suspension of Normal Operations Policy | 9/22/2010 | Revised Policy: Revisions were made to simplify the language to provide a better understanding of how the employee should be paid. |
| 6/11/2024 | Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) | Juliette Botoklo Commodore | 3D Printing Policy | 6/11/2024 | Revised Policy: This policy will provide guidance for use of 3D printers along with the 3D printing process on UA campus and all affiliated properties. |
| 6/11/2024 | Human Resources | Susan Norton | Pre-Employment and Background Investigation Policy | 8/1/2006 | Revised Policy: Changed the title of the Policy to Pre-Employment and Background Investigation Policy to cover both policies and added language regarding Independent Contractors to the Purpose, Policy, and Scope. |
| 6/11/2024 | Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) | Christy Herron | Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Policy | 4/18/2015 | Revised Policy: The policy is being changed to reflect that the Finance & Operations unit handling the UAS Drone process, policy, and application is now EHS. Additionally, a few statements were added to provide clarity related to FAA requirements/responsibilities as outlined for pilots. Links were updated to reflect the change to EHS. Finally, statements were added to provide additional emphasis on the requirements related to Remote Identification broadcasting and other duties as outlined by the FAA. |
| 6/11/2024 | Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) | Juliette Botoklo Commodore | Bloodborne Pathogen Policy | 1/17/2023 | Revised Policy: Removed references to old documents no longer in use due to electronic tracking through software and provided clarification on departmental expectations relating to training. |