- AAU, APLU Call on OMB to Prioritize Higher Ed, Research in FY21 Budget
- AAU, Associations Comment on FTC Safeguards Rule NPRM
- AAU, Associations Submit Comments on NIST Special Proposal on CUI
- Education Dept Restores Federal Student Aid to California Students in Online Programs
- Upcoming Events
AAU, APLU CALL ON OMB TO PRIORITIZE HIGHER ED, RESEARCH IN FY21 BUDGET
AAU and APLU yesterday sent a letter to OMB acting director Russell Vought urging his office to support increased federal funding for higher education and scientific research in the administration’s FY21 budget. The letter highlights the historic government-university partnership, the need to protect our nation’s national security, and the importance of ensuring the U.S. remains a global leader in innovation. The associations call for increased funding growth of at least four percent for 10 key federal research agencies, strong investment in student aid programs, and robust funding for graduate education. “These investments are essential to our nation’s ability to cultivate talent now and for decades to come,” the letter says.
AAU, ASSOCIATIONS COMMENT ON FTC SAFEGUARDS RULE NPRM
AAU, together with nine other higher education associations, last week submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission regarding the agency’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, titled “Standards for Safeguarding Customer Information.” The letter expresses concern about the FTC’s deviation “from its long-standing, flexible approach to information security program development and implementation.” The organizations emphasize that although colleges and universities may technically be considered “financial institutions” under the Safeguards Rule, they are fundamentally academic entities. Accordingly, their academic missions – and assessment of risk in relation to that mission – must be the basis of their information security programs, not rigid compliance with a rule that may not be appropriate to the size and complexity of an institution, much less to the nature and scope of the activities that cause academic institutions to be covered by the rule. The comments offer a number of specific recommendations related to the proposed rule’s individual provisions.
AAU, ASSOCIATIONS SUBMIT COMMENTS ON NIST SPECIAL PROPOSAL ON CUI
AAU last week joined COGR, EDUCAUSE, ACE, and APLU to submit comments to the National Institute of Standards and Technology in response to their request for public comments on a draft Special Publication titled “Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations: Enhanced Security Requirements for Critical Programs and High Value Assets.” The new publication would create a set of controlled unclassified information (CUI) requirements that exceed guidelines established through the original CUI network requirement contained in NIST SP 800-171 .
In the letter, the organizations request further clarification about the criteria and processes for designating critical programs and high value assets outside of federal information systems; the parameters that will ensure consistency among federal agencies; agency flexibility and discretion in applying controls to research; and the cost mitigation strategies agencies and institutions might employ.
EDUCATION DEPT RESTORES FEDERAL STUDENT AID TO CALIFORNIA STUDENTS IN ONLINE PROGRAMS
The Education Department Monday formally reinstated federal financial aid to some 80,000 California students enrolled at online, out-of-state universities who were at risk of losing their aid following the department’s recent announcement that it would enforce Obama-era rules to regulate online colleges. California last week implemented a compliance plan by creating a new consumer complaint process for students enrolled in online college programs offered by out-of-state college programs.
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: AAU, Associations Advise Education Department on Title IV Funding Fix
UPCOMING EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 9 FY20 INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING EXAMPLES DUE; For more information, see memo here. To submit examples, use this form. Contact Amy Scott with questions.
SEPTEMBER 10 GOLDEN GOOSE AWARDS; 5:30 p.m. at the Library of Congress. See the Save the Date for more information.