December 1, 2017 | Issue # 102
I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving! There’s so much going on in Washington, DC, right now that it’s hard to keep track of it all. We’re focusing on a few big issues: taxes, DACA, and the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. You can learn more about them in “Must Read” and “Must Know.”
“Washington Watch: It’s Crunch Time in Washington”
Congress is under pressure—on taxes, funding, and DACA—as the first legislative session of the 115th Congress turns into its final month. Learn more in CC Daily.
The Nevada Promise Scholarship offers students support beyond free tuition. Learn about it at the 21st Century Center.
Higher Education Act Reauthorization
The House Education and Workforce Committee has introduced its Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization bill. The 542-page bill is likely to be acted upon and approved by the committee next week. The legislation includes a number of AACC’s top priorities, including new Pell Grant eligibility for short-term programs as well as new authority for institutions to limit student borrowing. The legislation also would create a new apprenticeship program and restore ability-to-benefit funding for all students who accumulate six postsecondary education credits. However, the legislation requires colleges to repay portions of financial aid received by students who do not complete their periods of enrollment. It eliminates the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) program, and ends the in-school interest subsidy. It also creates a new 25% graduation rate requirement for a redesigned Title III-A program, that would apply to Hispanic-Serving Institutions. We will provide a more detailed analysis and hope we can count on your feedback as we communicate to the legislators here in Washington.
Deadline Extended for Awards of Excellence Nominations
There’s still time to submit nominations for the 2018 Awards of Excellence. The deadline has been extended to December 15. Award recipients will be announced at the AACC Annual Convention in Dallas, Texas.
WDI Registration Closes Dec. 15
AACC’s 2018 Workforce Development Institute will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 30–February 2. Check out the draft program online and register by Dec. 15.
Honor Your Outstanding Faculty
The new AACC Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty recognition has been established to showcase faculty members making a difference in the community college classroom. AACC will accept one faculty nomination from each member college. Distinguished Faculty recipients will be honored at a private reception on April 29 at the AACC Annual Convention. They also will receive a 15% discount off of the current faculty registration rate for the convention, a custom commemorative medal, and more. Nomination deadline: February 15, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. (ET).
Register for AACC’s CEO Onboarding Seminar
AACC recognizes the importance of onboarding for new CEOs. We’re pleased to offer a day-and-a-half program, “A Focus on Success for the First 365 Days of the Presidency: An Onboarding Seminar.” The program is designed for new CEOs and the college’s board chair. It will be held in Washington, DC, February 15–16, 2018. Register now.
Add to the Apprenticeship Program Catalog
AACC is compiling a catalog of Registered and Recognized Apprenticeship programs. You can share information about your program here. Registered Apprenticeship programs are those programs that have met national standards for registration with the U.S. Department of Labor (or an approved State Apprenticeship Agency). Currently, AACC is defining Recognized Apprenticeship programs as those that have been designated and recognized at your college as apprenticeships.
See more of Where’s Walter.