- From Mary Sue’s Desk: Affordable & Accessible – Helping Students Succeed
- Short-term CR Pushes Government Funding Deadline to December 21
- Hoover Institution Offers Recommendations to Universities on Chinese Influence
- DHS Proposes Changes to H-1B Filing Process
- White House Unveils New STEM Education Report
- Associations Request Comment Period Extension on Export Controls ANPRM
- NSF Circulates Revised FAQ Regarding Sexual Harassment Term and Condition
FROM MARY SUE’S DESK: AFFORDABLE & ACCESSIBLE – HELPING STUDENTS SUCCEED
President Mary Sue Coleman on Monday released a new blog post featuring several AAU universities’ efforts to make higher education more affordable and accessible. This piece will reside on a new webpage – Affordability and Student Aid – where AAU is featuring stories about AAU university programs designed to ensure deserving students of all backgrounds have access to high-quality education regardless of their families’ finances.
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SHORT-TERM CR PUSHES GOVERNMENT FUNDING DEADLINE TO DECEMBER 21
President Trump today signed a two-week continuing resolution, pushing the government funding deadline from December 7 to December 21. Roughly a quarter of the government's $1.2 trillion discretionary budget remains unsettled for FY19. Several AAU priority research programs remain unfunded for FY19 including NSF, NASA, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: AAU FY19 Funding Priorities table
ICYMI: AAU President Urges Congress to Finish FY19 Appropriations
HOOVER INSTITUTION OFFERS RECOMMENDATIONS TO UNIVERSITIES ON CHINESE INFLUENCE
Produced by a group of 32 prominent scholars, China’s Influence & American Interests: Promoting Constructive Vigilance proposes three broad principles that should “serve as the basis for protecting the integrity of American institutions inside the United States while also protecting the basic core of American values, norms, and laws.” Embedded within the three principles of transparency, integrity, and reciprocity are a variety of reforms and actions for consideration by the U.S. government and various institutions like universities, think tanks, and the media. Recommendations for U.S. universities begin in section 4, on page 39.
DHS PROPOSES CHANGES TO H-1B FILING PROCESS
DHS on Monday published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would require petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitioners to first electronically register with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during a designated registration period. Under the proposed rule, USCIS would reverse the order by which the agency selects H-1B petitions under the H-1B cap and the advanced degree exemption. Though the proposed rule would impact cap-subject H-1Bs, it would not directly impact universities as employers. However, it would have an impact on graduates seeking employment opportunities and could lead to a greater allocation for H-1Bs to those with U.S. advanced degrees.
Inside Higher Ed has more.
WHITE HOUSE UNVEILS NEW STEM EDUCATION REPORT
The administration on Monday released a five-year strategic plan for STEM education emphasizing the importance of federal government, industry, and community organization partnerships to train more Americans for jobs in high-tech fields. The report lists the following as aspirational goals the initiative hopes to achieve: 1) Build strong foundations for STEM literacy by ensuring that every American has the opportunity to master basic STEM concepts, including computational thinking and to become digitally literate; 2) Increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM and provide all Americans with lifelong access to high-quality STEM education, especially those historically underserved and underrepresented in STEM fields and employment; and 3) Prepare the STEM workforce for the future – both college-educated STEM practitioners and those working in skilled trades that do not require a four-year degree – by creating authentic learning experiences that encourage and prepare learners to pursue STEM careers.
Science has more.
ASSOCIATIONS REQUEST COMMENT PERIOD EXTENSION ON EXPORT CONTROLS ANPRM
The Commerce Department Bureau of Industry Security in November issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on the review of controls for certain “emerging technologies.” AAU, COGR, APLU, and AAMC earlier this week wrote to request that the comment period, which currently has a deadline of December 19, be extended from 30 to 60 days, and preferably 90 days. Given the complexity and technical nature of the ANPRM, the associations maintain the 30-day period is not enough time to effectively respond to the ANPRM.
NSF CIRCULATES REVISED FAQ REGARDING SEXUAL HARASSMENT TERM AND CONDITION
The National Science Foundation on Tuesday shared with the community a revised set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding NSF’s Award Term and Condition titled, “Notification Requirements Regarding Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment, or Sexual Assault.” The revised FAQs has been posted to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s harassment website. Additional questions regarding the term and condition should be submitted to [email protected].