January 19, 2023
Introduction by Barbara K. Mistick
Dear Colleagues:
In just over two weeks, we will kick off our 2023 Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day here in Washington, DC. I’m pleased to report that we have over 400 (and counting) attendees registered for the meeting.
Our program includes panels, speakers, and trainings to help college and university leaders talk with their elected officials and campus communities about the value, worth and benefits that come with a college degree. These will be important discussions as the Biden Administration has intensified its focus on college accountability.
To give us an inside look into the Administration’s institutional accountability proposals, Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal has confirmed that he will address our attendees on the morning of February 6. It will be great to hear first-hand how the Education Department plans to tackle institutional accountability and how our membership can play a role going forward.
Higher education is also under the microscope in Congress, making our Advocacy Day activities critically important again this year. Throughout the meeting, including Sunday’s short sessions on key issues and emerging challenges and opportunities in federal policy, Monday’s hands-on advocacy training, and Tuesday’s policy briefing, there will be speakers, experts, and NAICU staff providing the tools and resources necessary to ensure your Congressional visits are productive and address our priorities.
Additionally, we have created a brief FAQ overview about the purpose of Advocacy Day and what to expect throughout the meeting process – from scheduling to participating with your Member of Congress and/or their staff.
There’s still time to register and make your plans to join your colleagues at this year’s Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day.
Soundbites
I look forward to seeing you in Washington next month!
In just over two weeks, we will kick off our 2023 Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day here in Washington, DC. I’m pleased to report that we have over 400 (and counting) attendees registered for the meeting.
Our program includes panels, speakers, and trainings to help college and university leaders talk with their elected officials and campus communities about the value, worth and benefits that come with a college degree. These will be important discussions as the Biden Administration has intensified its focus on college accountability.
To give us an inside look into the Administration’s institutional accountability proposals, Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal has confirmed that he will address our attendees on the morning of February 6. It will be great to hear first-hand how the Education Department plans to tackle institutional accountability and how our membership can play a role going forward.
Higher education is also under the microscope in Congress, making our Advocacy Day activities critically important again this year. Throughout the meeting, including Sunday’s short sessions on key issues and emerging challenges and opportunities in federal policy, Monday’s hands-on advocacy training, and Tuesday’s policy briefing, there will be speakers, experts, and NAICU staff providing the tools and resources necessary to ensure your Congressional visits are productive and address our priorities.
Additionally, we have created a brief FAQ overview about the purpose of Advocacy Day and what to expect throughout the meeting process – from scheduling to participating with your Member of Congress and/or their staff.
There’s still time to register and make your plans to join your colleagues at this year’s Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day.
Soundbites
- A federal court dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Education’s application of the religious exception under Title IX. The lawsuit, which was filed by LGBTQ students attending Christian colleges and universities that had received an exemption, alleged that the Department’s implementation of the Title IX religious exemption violates the constitutional rights of LGBTQ students. The court rejected that argument, noting that “exempting religiously controlled educational institutions from Title IX … is substantially related to the government’s objective of accommodating religious exercise.”
- The Department of Education announced that three Historically Black Colleges and Universities that experienced bomb threats last year have received Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) grants. The three institutions are Philander Smith College, Hampton University, and North Carolina Central University. Project SERV provides short-term funding for local educational agencies and higher education institutons that have experienced a violent or traumatic incident to assist in restoring a safe environment conducive to learning. This follows previous grants to Tougaloo College and Fisk University.
- The President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities is holding its first meeting of 2023 on January 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST. Members of the public may join the open meeting via the following link: https://ems8.intellor.com/login/846162.
- TRIO Program Interim Annual Performance Reports for 2022-23 must be completed by February 13, 2023, the Deparment of Education has announced. Every program should have received a letter and instructions for completing the report.
- NAICU will host its first Capstone Webinar on Tuesday, January 24, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. EST (register). Sponsored by TIAA, the webinar SECURE 2.0: What to Expect, will cover a major reform of retirement legislation that was signed into law by President Biden late last year. This is the third phase of retirement reform enacted in the past 20 years, following SECURE 1.0 in 2019 and the Pension ProtectiNAICU will host its first Capstone Webinar on Tuesday, January 24, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. ESTon Act of 2006. Join this webinar to hear two experts from TIAA discuss how SECURE 2.0 will affect the administration of retirement plans on your campus.
I look forward to seeing you in Washington next month!
For more information, please contact:
Barbara K. Mistick, D.M.