Compliance Alert – October 2024

Final Rules

Rules Governing Motion To Amend Practice and Procedures in Trial Proceedings Under the America Invents Act Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) modifies its rules of practice governing amendment practice in trial proceedings under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) to make permanent certain provisions of the Office’s motion to amend pilot program (MTA pilot program) and to revise the rules that allocate burdens of persuasion in connection with motions to amend (MTAs). These rules provide a patent owner with the option of issuance of preliminary guidance in response to an MTA and the option of filing one additional revised MTA. Further, these rules clarify that a preponderance of evidence standard applies to any new ground of unpatentability raised by the Board, and that when exercising the discretion to grant or deny an MTA or to raise a new ground of unpatentability, the Board may consider all evidence of record in the proceeding. The rules further provide that the Board may consider information identified in response to a Board-initiated request for examination assistance, and that the results of that assistance will be added to the record. The rules better ensure the Office’s role of issuing robust and reliable patents, and the predictability and certainty of post-grant trial proceedings before the Board. These rules relate to the Office trial practice for inter partes review (IPR), post-grant review (PGR), and derivation proceedings that implemented provisions of the AIA providing for trials before the Office.

Federal Agency: Patent Trial and Appeal Board, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce

Affected Area: Patent and Trademarks

Effective: 10/18/2024

Requirements Related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

This document sets forth final rules amending regulations implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) and adding new regulations implementing the nonquantitative treatment limitation (NQTL) comparative analyses requirements under MHPAEA, as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA, 2021). Specifically, these final rules amend the existing NQTL standard to prohibit group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage from using NQTLs that place greater restrictions on access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits as compared to medical/surgical benefits. As part of these changes, these final rules require plans and issuers to collect and evaluate relevant data in a manner reasonably designed to assess the impact of NQTLs on relevant outcomes related to access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits and medical/surgical benefits and to take reasonable action, as necessary, to address material differences in access to mental health or substance use disorder benefits as compared to medical/surgical benefits. These final rules also amend existing examples and add new examples on the application of the rules for NQTLs to clarify and illustrate the requirements of MHPAEA. Additionally, these final rules set forth the content requirements for NQTL comparative analyses and specify how plans and issuers must make these comparative analyses available to the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (collectively, the Departments), as well as to an applicable State authority, and to participants, beneficiaries, and enrollees. Finally, HHS finalizes regulatory amendments to implement the sunset provision for self-funded non-Federal governmental plan elections to opt out of compliance with MHPAEA, as adopted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA, 2023).

Federal Agency: Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury; Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services.

Affected Area: HR

Effective: 11/22/2024

Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Data Universal Numbering System to Unique Entity Identifier Transition (DFARS Case 2022-D023)

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to align the DFARS with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) transition from the Data Universal Numbering System to the unique entity identifier in the System for Award Management.

Federal Agency: Defense Acquisition Regulations System, Department of Defense (DoD)

Affected Area: Procurement

Effective Date: 10/1/2024

Rules Governing Director Review of Patent Trial and Appeal Board Decisions

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is adding a new rule to govern the process for the review of Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) decisions in Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) proceedings by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Director). The new rule promotes the accuracy, consistency, and integrity of PTAB decision-making in AIA proceedings.

Federal Agency: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce

Affected Area: Patents and Trademarks

Effective Date: 10/31/2024

Health and Human Services Adoption of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adopts with this rule OMB’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, to include 12 existing HHS-specific modifications. This rule also repeals HHS’ existing regulations governing the administration of HHS financial assistance awards. The existing HHS-specific modifications are described in the rule’s preamble. Additionally, the rule will correct citations throughout all relevant HHS regulations.

Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services

Affected Area: ORED

Effective Date: 10/1/2024 for amendatory instruction 2; and 10/1/2025 for the remainder

Updates to Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands Regulations To Implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard; Correction

On July 11, 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published a final rule implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS), updating the agency’s 8-step decision-making process for floodplain reviews by changing how FEMA defines a floodplain with respect to certain actions and how FEMA uses natural systems, ecosystem processes, and nature-based approaches when developing alternatives to locating a proposed action in the floodplain. The rule contained two errors which this document corrects.

Federal Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security

Affected Area: Campus Development

Effective Date: 10/10/2024


Proposed Rules

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Pedestrian Head Protection, Global Technical Regulation No. 9; Incorporation by Reference

NHTSA proposes a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) that would ensure passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,536 kilograms (kg) (10,000 pounds (lb)) or less are designed to mitigate the risk of serious to fatal injury in child and adult pedestrian crashes. The proposed standard would establish test procedures simulating a head-to-hood impact and performance requirements to minimize the risk of head injury. This NPRM is based on a Global Technical Regulation (GTR) on pedestrian protection, with focused enhancements to address safety problems and a regulatory framework unique to the United States.

Federal Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation (DOT)

Affected Area: Campus

Comments Due: 11/18/2024

HHS Acquisition Regulation: Regulatory Review

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proposing to amend and update its Health and Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) to update and streamline the HHSAR. Under this initiative, all parts of the regulation were reviewed to streamline the regulation, to revise or remove policy superseded by changes in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), to remove any procedural guidance that is internal to HHS into a new HHS Acquisition Manual (HHSAM) as internal policies, guidance, and instructions. The rule would add new coverage to implement agency unique requirements. The HHSAR would also be updated to reflect organizational changes in the Department, incorporate recent statutory changes and government mandates, and to accomplish editorial revisions for clarification.

Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services

Affected Area: UMC

Comments Due: 12/2/2024


Notices

2024-2025 Award Year Deadline Dates for Reports and Other Records Associated With the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program (FSEOG) Program, the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program, the Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant) Program, the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program, and the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program

The Secretary announces deadline dates for the receipt of documents and other information from applicants and institutions participating in certain Federal student aid programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), for the 2024-2025 award year. These programs, administered by the Department of Education (Department), provide financial assistance to students attending eligible postsecondary educational institutions to help them pay their educational costs.

The Federal student aid programs (title IV, HEA programs) covered by this deadline date notice are the Pell Grant, Direct Loan, TEACH Grant, and Campus-Based (FSEOG and FWS) programs. Assistance Listing Numbers: 84.007 FSEOG Program; 84.033 FWS Program; 84.063 Pell Grant Program; 84.268 Direct Loan Program; and 84.379 TEACH Grant Program.

Federal Agency: Federal Student Aid, Department of Education

Affected Area: Student Financial Aid

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Labeling Requirements for Prescription Drugs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the Agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Federal Agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed revision of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on information collection associated with labeling requirements for prescription drugs.

Federal Agency: Food and Drug Administration, HHS

Affected Area: UMC, SHC

Comments Due: 11/18/2024

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Federal Student Loan Program Deferment Request Forms

These forms serve as the means by which borrowers in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan), Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and the Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Programs may request deferment of repayment on their loans if they meet certain statutory and regulatory criteria. The U.S. Department of Education and other loan holders uses the information collected on these forms to determine whether a borrower meets the eligibility requirements for the specific deferment type being submitted. For greater simplicity and to make it easier to maintain consistency among the various forbearance forms, the Department is consolidating all the current forbearance forms into a single collection under OMB No. 1845-0011. This collection is merging the six currently approved deferment forms in 1845-0011 with the military deferment form currently approved under 1845-0080 and the cancer treatment deferment form currently approved under 1845-0154.

Federal Agency: Federal Student Aid (FSA), Department of Education (ED)

Affected Area: Student Financial Aid

Comments Due: 10/23/2024

New Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Minimum Standards for Driver’s Licenses and Identification Cards Acceptable by Federal Agencies for Official Purposes

Beginning May 7, 2025, the REAL ID regulations prohibit Federal agencies from accepting, for official purposes, driver’s licenses or identification cards that are not compliant with REAL ID requirements.[1] In December 2020, the REAL ID Modernization Act clarified that mobile or digital driver’s licenses or identification cards (collectively “mobile driver’s licenses” or “mDLs”), are subject to REAL ID requirements.[2] This Act also amended the definitions of “driver’s license” and “identification card” to specifically include mDLs that have been issued in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary. The REAL ID Act was enacted, and DHS regulations issued, before the development of mDLs. As a result, many of the current regulation’s security requirements for physical cards, such as physical security features to deter fraud and tampering, do not apply to mDLs. In the absence of regulatory requirements to address mDLs, States are unable to issue REAL ID-compliant mDLs. TSA has initiated a two-phased rulemaking to address this gap. The first phase enables States to apply to TSA for a temporary waiver of certain requirements in the regulations. In the second phase, TSA would repeal the waiver provisions established in the first phase and establish comprehensive requirements enabling States to issue mDLs that comply with REAL ID requirements. In August 2023, TSA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) [3] to amend the DHS REAL ID regulations as part of the multi-phased approach to address mDLs. The NPRM proposed to waive, on a temporary and State-by-State basis, the regulatory requirement that mDLs must be compliant with REAL ID requirements to be accepted by Federal agencies for official purposes. The NPRM proposed the process and standards for the waiver to permit Federal agencies, at their discretion, to continue accepting for official purposes mDLs after May 7, 2025, if the mDL is issued by a State to whom TSA has issued a waiver.

Federal Agency: Transportation Security Administration, DHS

Affected Area: Campus

Comments Due: 10/23/2024

Federal Student Loan Program Deferment Request Forms; Correction

On September 23, 2024, a request for a 30-day public comment period was published in the Federal Register . The abstract incorrectly included language about forbearances when the collection request is about deferments. The corrected abstract should read: These forms serve as the means by which borrowers in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan), Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and the Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Programs may request deferment of repayment on their loans if they meet certain statutory and regulatory criteria. The U.S. Department of Education and other loan holders uses the information collected on these forms to determine whether a borrower meets the eligibility requirements for the specific deferment type being submitted. For greater simplicity and to make it easier to maintain consistency among the various deferment forms, the Department is consolidating all the current deferment forms into a single collection under OMB No. 1845-0011. This collection is merging the six currently approved deferment forms in 1845-0011 with the military deferment form currently approved under 1845-0080 and the cancer treatment deferment form currently approved under 1845-0154. The Department is requesting a revision of the currently approved deferment forms. The proposed changes include the following: Updating the forms by eliminating duplicative and obsolete information; reordering items to present information in a more logical order that is consistent between forms; using “plain language” to present information more clearly and consistently; revising language as necessary to reflect regulatory changes made by the Final Rule published on November 1, 2022. The PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Office of the Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, hereby issues a correction notice as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Federal Agency: Department of Education (ED), Federal Student Aid (FSA)

Affected Area: Student Financial Aid

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Federal Student Loan Program: Internship/Residency and Loan Debt Burden Forbearance Forms

These forms serve as the means by which borrowers in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan), Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and the Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Programs may request forbearance of repayment on their loans if they meet certain conditions. The U.S. Department of Education and other loan holders uses the information collected on these forms to determine whether a borrower meets the eligibility requirements for the specific type of forbearance. The Service forbearance (SERV Forb) and the Student Loan Debt forbearance (SLDB Forb) forms are currently approved under OMB No. 1845-0018. The General forbearance (GEN Forb) form is currently approved under OMB No. 1845-0031. For greater simplicity and to make it easier to maintain consistency among the various forbearance forms, the Department is consolidating the two current collections into a single collection under OMB No. 1845-0018. This review request merges the number of respondents/responses/burden hours for both collections.

Federal Agency: Department of Education (ED), Federal Student Aid (FSA)

Affected Area: Student Financial Aid

Comments Due: 10/30/2024

Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA): Interest Rate Limitation Request

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides that those on active-duty military service are entitled to have an interest rate in excess of 6% be capped at 6% for the duration of their qualifying military service. The Department is requesting an extension of the currently approved information collection. These Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and Direct Loan Program regulations have not changed. The regulations require a loan holder to match its database against the Department of Defense’s Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) and automatically apply the interest rate limitation, as appropriate, to borrowers under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The form in this collection would only be used in limited cases where the borrower is not found in the Defense Manpower Data Center, or does not have a copy of military orders, but still wishes to receive benefits under the SCRA.

Federal Agency: Department of Education (ED), Federal Student Aid (FSA)

Affected Area: Student Financial Aid

Comments Due: 11/29/2024

Minimum Wage for Federal Contracts Covered by Executive Order 13658, Notice of Rate Change in Effect as of January 1, 2025

The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (the Department) is issuing this notice to announce the applicable minimum wage rate for workers performing work on or in connection with Federal contracts covered by Executive Order 13658, Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors (the Executive Order or the order), beginning January 1, 2025. Beginning on that date, the Executive Order 13658 minimum wage rate that generally must be paid to workers performing work on or in connection with covered contracts will increase to $13.30 per hour, while the required minimum cash wage that generally must be paid to tipped employees performing work on or in connection with covered contracts will increase to $9.30 per hour. Covered contracts that are entered into on or after January 30, 2022, or that are renewed or extended (pursuant to an option or otherwise) on or after January 30, 2022, are generally subject to a higher minimum wage rate established by Executive Order 14026 of April 27, 2021, Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors.

Federal Agency: Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor

Affected Area: Campus

Effective Date: 1/1/2025

Minimum Wage for Federal Contracts Covered by Executive Order 14026, Notice of Rate Change in Effect as of January 1, 2025

The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (the Department) is issuing this notice to announce the applicable minimum wage rate for workers performing work on or in connection with Federal contracts covered by Executive Order 14026, Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors (the Executive Order or the order). Beginning on January 1, 2025, the Executive Order 14026 minimum wage rate that generally must be paid to workers performing work on or in connection with covered contracts will increase to $17.75 per hour. This minimum wage rate will apply to non-tipped and tipped employees alike. Contracts similar to those covered by Executive Order 14026 that were entered into, renewed, or extended prior to January 30, 2022, are generally subject to a lower minimum wage rate established by Executive Order 13658 of February 12, 2014, Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors.

Federal Agency: Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor

Affected Area: Campus

Effective Date: 1/1/2025

Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Alabama Museums, Tuscaloosa, AL

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of Alabama Museums has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

Federal Agency: National Park Service, Department of the Interior

Affected Area: Museums

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Federal Student Aid (FSA) Partner Connect System and User Access Management

This is a request for a new information collection. Federal Student Aid (FSA) Partner Connect will be replacing Student Aid internet Gateway (SAIG) Enrollment via fsawebenroll.ed.gov. SAIG Mailboxes will remain as the access point for electronically transmitting and receiving data. FSA Partner Connect System and User Access Management allows authorized entities, including postsecondary educational institutions, institutional third-party servicers, guaranty agencies and guaranty agency (GA) servicers, Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) lenders and lender servicers, federal loan servicers, and State Higher Education Agencies, to exchange data electronically with the U.S. Department of Education (Department). In order to participate, each entity must enroll for system and service access through FSA Partner Connect ( fsapartners.ed.gov). The enrollment process enables the organization enrolling to create new users and select services to receive, submit, view, and/or update student financial aid data online and by batch using Department provided software EDconnect (PC-based software) or TDClient (client software for multiple environments). As authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA); 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq., and in order to manage the Title IV, HEA assistance programs, the entities listed above may electronically transmit and receive data from the following FSA systems through SAIG Mailboxes by enrolling through FSA Partner Connect:

Federal Agency: Federal Student Aid (FSA), Department of Education (ED)

Affected Area: Student Financial Aid

Comments Due: 11/7/2024

Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Student Assistance General Provisions-Readmission for Servicemembers

The Department of Education (the Department) is requesting an extension without change of the current recordkeeping information collection. There has been no change in either the statute as provided by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) or in the regulations. The regulations identify the requirements under which an institution must readmit servicemembers with the same academic status they held at the institution when they last attended (or were accepted for attendance). The regulations require institutions to charge readmitted servicemembers, for the first academic year of their return, the same institutional charges they were charged for the academic year during which they left the institution (see section 484C of the HEA).

Federal Agency: Federal Student Aid (FSA), Department of Education (ED)

Affected Area: Student Financial Aid

Comments Due: 12/9/2024

Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006; Correction

On September 11, 2024, the 60-day comment period published in the Federal Register (FRN Vol. 89, No. 176, pages 73638-9) for the proposed revised information collection, Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, with an end date of November 12, 2024. An error was made to the Docket No.: ED-2024-SCC-0112 posting with the current instrument version of the Perkins V Consolidated Annual Report. Approximately two weeks after the publication on September 23, 2024, ED corrected this error and posted the correct version of the instrument, Perkins V Consolidated Annual Report 1830-0569 revision to the record. As a result, the Department is extending the public comment period two weeks. The new end date of the comment period is November 26, 2024.

Federal Agency: Department of Education (ED), Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE)

Affected Area: Student Financial Aid

Comments Due: 11/26/2024


Items of Interest

Survey: When Should College Students Use AI? They’re Not Sure

Data from Inside Higher Ed’s 2024 Student Voice survey shows that three in 10 students are not clear on when they’re permitted to use generative artificial intelligence in their coursework. Higher ed experts say AI policies should be led by faculty members, considering institutional values.

Increasing Student Motivation Through Assignment Choice

Assignments are a crucial part of the learning experience for students. Yet, surprisingly, there are relatively few professional development resources or conference sessions on how to design assignments that will engage and motivate students. Many focus on aligning assignments with outcomes and conveying assignments clearly and transparently, but little attention has been given to allowing choice in assignments and how that can help increase student learning.

Ed Blum Puts Colleges ‘On Notice’ Over Diversity

The affirmative action foe threatened to sue three colleges for allegedly defying the Supreme Court’s race-conscious admissions ban. Should others prepare for the worst?

Could a Wealth-Based Pell Grant Close Racial Gaps in Student Debt?

A new report argues a $17 billion investment in a grant program will meet unaddressed financial aid needs for Black and brown students.

SEC Charges 12 Municipal Advisors with Recordkeeping Violations

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against 12 municipal advisors for failures by the firms and their personnel to maintain and preserve certain electronic communications. The firms agreed to pay combined civil penalties of more than $1.3 million to settle the SEC’s charges.

It’s Past Time to Allow Paid Field Placements

Few institutions are slower to change than the legal profession and higher education. But a remarkable transformation is happening across law schools nationwide—most are now allowing students to earn money and academic credit for field placement work. And they have the American Bar Association to thank for it.

Research misconduct claims are growing. Will new rules help universities investigate?

Amid a steady rise in research misconduct allegations over the past decade, the Department of Human Health and Services last week updated its guidance on how universities and other institutions investigate claims. It’s a move that experts say is a step in the right direction — though many warn that more systemic change is needed to address mounting concerns over data manipulation and other issues in the sciences.

The Long-Awaited FAFSA Autopsy Is Here

A new government investigation dissects the federal aid form’s botched rollout. It paints a familiar picture of bureaucratic bungling, with some telling new details.

How Much Do Students Really Read?

Students are turning to YouTube, podcasts and ChatGPT-crafted summaries rather than actually reading their assignments for class. Professors are unsure how to adapt.

The View from the FAFSA Trenches

A government investigation offered a look behind the scenes of the federal aid fiasco this week. Financial aid professionals say it confirmed their most cynical suspicions.

Federal Anti-Hazing Bill Heads to Senate

The bipartisan Stop Campus Hazing Act would require institutions to include hazing incidents in their annual security reports, implement hazing-prevention programming and publish their hazing policies online, along with information about which student organizations have a history of hazing incidents.

Miles College to Buy Birmingham-Southern Campus

Miles College has signed an agreement to buy the 192-acre campus of Birmingham-Southern College—which closed abruptly earlier this year due to financial issues—Al.com reported.

Long-Awaited Changes to Research Misconduct Rules Have Arrived

On 12 September 2024, the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) within the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule (Final Rule) that significantly modified the standards, procedures, and requirements for research misconduct proceedings housed at 42 C.F.R. Part 93 (Part 93)—a rule that that has not been amended since it was first codified in 2005. Part 93 specifically governs alleged research misconduct – i.e. falsification, fabrication or plagiarism – in research funded by a Public Health Service (PHS) agency, whichh includes the National Institutes of Heal– (NIH), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and other HHS grantmaking agencies.

California Enacts Sweeping Legacy Ban

The state became the second to prohibit legacy preferences at both public and private institutions. It’s the most consequential legacy legislation to date.

Removal of On-Campus Voting on Election Day Sparks Uproar at Purdue

Employees and students must vote off campus in November for the first time in years. Voting groups say such changes are a common, albeit subtle, form of voter suppression.

A Grad Degree Can Be a Risky Bet

As emerging data shows that taking out loans to earn a graduate degree doesn’t always pay off, policy experts call for even stronger regulation of graduate schools.

Higher Ed Censorship Becoming More Discreet, PEN Reports

A review of 2024 legislation shows more bills attempting to attack classroom learning indirectly and couch censorship in uncontroversial language.

ACE Tells Presidential Candidates, ‘Higher Education Builds America’

In a full-page ad in The New York Times, the American Council on Education addressed both presidential candidates and made its case for higher ed. Here’s why.

Has the OPM Market Already Imploded?

A new report shows institutions are turning away from beleaguered online program managers en masse. Is it the end of the road for a once-thriving sector?

State Lawmakers Call for Rethinking Federal Role in Higher Ed

The task force, a group of lawmakers from 32 states, wants states and the federal government to work together more to make college a better return on investment.

Chegg Accused of Breaching Australia’s Anti-Cheating Law

U.S.-based education support site taken to court by regulator in first test of nascent legislation.

Employers Say Students Need AI Skills. What If Students Don’t Want Them?

Colleges and universities are considering new ways to incorporate generative AI into teaching and learning, but not every student is on board with the tech yet. Experts weigh in on the necessity of AI in career preparation and higher education’s role in preparing students for jobs of the future.

Why Students Are Disrupting Career Fairs

Pro-Palestinian students at Harvey Mudd College, Tufts University, and others have protested the presence of certain companies at recent career fairs.

Policies

Posting Date Department Contact Name Effective Date Summary
9/25/2024 Human Resources Susan Norton Employee Handbook 9/25/2024 Revised Policy: Updated the handbook to comply with recent changes in state law.
9/30/2024 Student Life Rosalind Moore Student Organization Campus Event Policy 9/30/2024 Revised Policy: Added language to define special events.
9/30/2024 Academic Affairs James Dalton Faculty Handbook 9/30/2024 Revised Policy: Updated to reflect new division name and changes to the composition of University standing committees.
10/1/2024 Compliance Risk Services Cheryl Mowdy Student Organization Construction Project Policy 10/1/2024 Revised Policy: Updated to comply with recent changes in state law.

 

10/2/2024 Shared Administrative Services Alexandria Taylor Campus Mail, Student Mail & Package Service Policy 10/2/2024 Revised Policy: Policy language was updated to include more specific language in regard to prohibited items and abandoned mail/packages. Also added in language in regard to the Campus Mail Summer Storage program.