- AAU Welcomes Three New Members
- From Mary Sue’s Desk: Addressing Sexual Assault and Misconduct on AAU Campuses
- Budget and Appropriations Update
- Congress to Pass Second Continuing Resolution
- Ongoing FY20 Appropriations Negotiations
- House Dear Colleague Letter Urges Conferees to Include SASTA in FY20 NDAA
- AAU Joins Higher Ed Community Letter to Education Department on Sec. 117 Foreign Gift and Contract Reporting
- AAU, Associations Comment on DHS Information Collection on Social Media Reporting
- AAU JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Executive Assistant to the President
AAU WELCOMES THREE NEW MEMBERS
The Association of American Universities today announced that Dartmouth College; the University of California, Santa Cruz; and the University of Utah have joined the association. The addition of these three leading research universities brings AAU’s membership total to 65 institutions – 63 American and two Canadian members.
FROM MARY SUE’S DESK: ADDRESSING SEXUAL ASSAULT AND MISCONDUCT ON AAU CAMPUSES
AAU President Mary Sue Coleman on Monday shared a new blog about AAU’s 2019 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct, the follow-up to our groundbreaking 2015 Campus Climate Survey . The blog outlines the important work we are doing to ensure safety of every student, faculty member, and staffer on campus. The blog also highlights the efforts of the survey to assess the incidence, prevalence, and characteristics of incidents of sexual assault and misconduct among our student bodies. Protecting students is paramount, and AAU and its members are proud to work toward solutions to the problem of sexual assault and misconduct on campus.
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: AAU Campus Climate Survey (2019)
BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE
In a Dear Colleague letter, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) confirmed that the House will vote on a second stopgap spending measure as early as November 18. The letter notes that the measure is necessary to allow lawmakers more time to reach an agreement on 302(b) allocations and finish FY20 appropriations measures. “I remain hopeful that we can finish our work and fully fund the government before the end of the year,” Hoyer said in the letter. Hoyer’s letter does not indicate how long the continuing resolution would be extended.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Appropriations Chair Richard Shelby (R-AL), and White House Legislative Director Eric Ueland yesterday met to discuss a path forward for FY20 appropriations negotiations and the likelihood of extending the current continuing resolution to December 13 or December 20. In floor remarks following the meeting, Roll Call reports that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said “we’re seeing some positive signs that we can get the process back on track.”
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On November 12, Sen. Shelby and House Appropriations Chair Nita Lowey (D-NY) plan to meet to discuss current sticking points in FY20 appropriations negotiations, including funding for the border wall. The White House said to CQ Budget that it is open to considering funding the border wall at less than its initial request of $8.6 billion, which could ease tensions in ongoing negotiations.
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: AAU Urges Congress to Finish FY20 Appropriations
HOUSE DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER URGES CONFEREES TO INCLUDE SASTA IN FY20 NDAA
Representatives Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) and Derek Kilmer (D-WA) transmitted a Dear Colleague letter to House and Senate NDAA conferees, urging them to include the AAU-endorsed Securing American Science and Technology Act in the NDAA. The measure would direct the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish an interagency working group of federal science, intelligence, and security agencies and form a National Academies Roundtable for the government and research communities to address threats. The letter, which had 29 cosigners, highlights AAU and APLU’s conference priorities letter and says that including SASTA in the NDAA would help “protect our most valuable research assets from foreign theft and espionage.”
RESOURCES AVAILABLE: AAU, Associations, and Universities Support the Securing American Science and Technology Act
AAU JOINS HIGHER ED COMMUNITY LETTER TO EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ON SEC. 117 FOREIGN GIFT AND CONTRACT REPORTING
AAU, along with 29 other higher education organizations, Tuesday sent a letter to the Education Department to highlight concerns with the department’s proposed Information Collection Request regarding foreign gifts and contracts disclosure under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act In the letter, the organizations also recommend that the department make a number of changes to its proposed ICR.
AAU, ASSOCIATIONS COMMENT ON DHS INFORMATION COLLECTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA REPORTING
AAU Tuesday joined ACE, APLU, and nine other higher education organizations to submit comments in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s Information Collection Request on its proposed “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Social Media Information on Immigration and Foreign Travel Forms.” In the comments, the associations highlight a historic drop in new and continuing international student enrollment due in part to the unpredictable nature of the visa process for current and prospective students and employers. The associations say that these burdensome new collection requirements, coupled with current reporting requirements, would further delay the visa process and send “an unwelcoming message to prospective students who are considering options to study throughout the world.”
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: ACE, AAU Submit Comment To The Department Of State On Social Media Vetting
AAU JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
AAU is seeking applicants for the position of Executive Assistant to the President. The position provides executive, committee, and development support for the Chief of Staff and the AAU President. A description of the position and application requirements is available here. To be considered, please send by November 12 a cover letter, salary requirements, and resume to [email protected].