Policy Matters | Department of Education Extends Distance Education Approval to December (May 2020)
- Department of Education Extends Distance Education Approval to December
In an updated guidance letter, the Department of Education has extended flexibility, originally provided in early March, for broad approval of the creation of distance education programs beginning between March 5 and December 31, 2020 due to interruptions of study related to COVID-19. It has also extended the permission of accrediting agencies to perform a virtual site visit, followed by a on-site visit in a timeline that is reasonably practicable. - House Passes HEROES Act, Contains Significant Higher Ed Funding; Unlikely to Pass Senate
House Democrats recently passed the HEROES Act, their take on the next round of COVID-19 relief funding, including $90B+ for education, approximately $36B of which would be explicitly reserved for higher education (in contrast, $14B was included in the CARES Act passed in March). The bill also attempted to legislate changes to the definition of distance education, largely borrowing language from recent draft regulations by the Department of Education.Criticized by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R – KY), he’s vowed to not consider the bill in the Senate as passed in the House. However, many institutions and students are facing mounting financial needs, and some higher education advocates supported the HEROES Act and said it would provide stabilization for them and their communities. Senate Republicans are in a “wait and see” mode to try and determine the stabilizing effects on the first round of COVID-19 funding bills, as they continue to work on a liability bill to restrict lawsuits brought against businesses on behalf of individuals or employees who get sick or die from COVID-19. - Department of Education Releases Controversial Final Title IX Regulations, Expects Implementation by August
The Department released awaited regulations regarding campus sexual assault under Title IX. Title IX is the law prohibiting sex discrimination at federally funded institutions, and the regulations released have been criticized in their execution, as well as the limited time the Department is providing to have institutions implement them, a deadline of August 14 of this year.Summary of Provisions | Full Text of Regulations
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Kristen Brown, University of Louisville, Chair
Bridget Beville, University of Phoenix
Corina Caraccioli, Loyola University New Orleans
Abram Hedtke, St. Cloud State University
George Irvine, University of Delaware
Craig Wilson, University of Arizona
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