Short Takes

ACE was among the business, industry, higher education, science, and engineering groups yesterday issuing an urgent call to action for stronger federal policies and investment to drive domestic research and development.

Christopher Nellum, senior policy research analyst for ACE’s Center for Policy and Research Strategy, writes on the Tuesday morning Annual Meeting session that looked at higher education policy across the ideological spectrum.

Jonathan Turk, graduate research associate for ACE’s Center for Policy Research and Strategy, looks at Tuesday’s Annual Meeting session on the current state of financial aid.

Jessie Brown, ACE’s associate counsel, looks at Tuesday’s Annual Meeting joint session with the National Association of College and University Attorneys.

The evidence detailing the need to overhaul federal higher education regulations is easy to come by, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said Tuesday morning during a session at ACE’s 97th Annual Meeting.

Jessie Brown, ACE’s associate general counsel, looks at Monday’s Annual Meeting session, “Compelling Interest: Race-Conscious Admissions in Turbulent Legal Times.”

In a concurrent session this afternoon at ACE’s 97th Annual Meeting, Terry Hartle, ACE senior vice president for government and public affairs, provided an overview of the higher education landscape in Washington.

A few clips from today’s Senate HELP Committee hearing on the report from the Task Force on Federal Regulation of Higher Education. Testifying were the task force’s co-chairs, Chancellors William E. Kirwan of the University System of Maryland and Nicholas S. Zeppos of Vanderbilt University (TN).

For a summary of the proposal and media reaction, see: FRIDAY BUZZ: President Obama Proposes Two Years of Free Community College

If you weren’t able to make it to Capitol Hill yesterday for the Civil Rights Project event on higher education accountability proposals and minority-serving institutions and students—co-sponsored by the ACE Center for Policy Research and Strategy—you can now watch a recorded version on C-SPAN.

Good news from the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) yesterday—the coalition announced plans to implement a common framework and understanding of terms for key actions regarding accredited institutions. Beginning this year, the terms “Warning,” “Probation,” “Show Cause,” “Withdrawal of Accreditation,” “Denial of Accreditation” and “Appeal” will be identical across regions, according to C-RAC’s plans…. Read more »