ACUHO-I News Blog

The Senate Finance Committee’s recently approved health care bill specifies two sorts of health care plans: employer-provided and individual policies purchased through an insurance exchange. To much of the population, this would seem to cover all the forms of insurance, but those affiliated with college and universities know there’s a third way: college- and university-issued insurance. Health insurance plans issued by institutions of higher education fall into another category, “limited duration products” according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

This may be an inadvertent mistake, and representatives of the American College Health Association have written to Senators requesting clarification.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that, in 2007, 67% of college students 18-23 received health insurance through employer-provided plans (likely their parents’ plans); 6% used Medicaid and the like; 20% were uninsured, and 7% had insurance through another private plan, such as an college-issued program.

Student insurance plans were offered at 71% of private institutions, 82% of public institutions and 29% of two-year public institutions in 2008, reported the GAO.

The ACUHO-I Central Office regularly gets calls about legislation, particularly whether we represent the interests of housing professionals in Washington, D.C. We do! A lobbyist in Washington works on behalf of ACUHO-I and a consortium of other student affairs organizations. Our lobbyist keeps us updated on potential legislation and the rule-making process that follows passage of a bill. ACUHO-I’s Public Policy Advisory committee, chaired by Bill Fox, gathers opinions and thoughts on legislation and rules and forwards these to our lobbyist. I am the committee’s liaison, and assist them with anything they need from the Central Office or ACUHO-I at large.

If there is legislation in which you are particularly interested or in which you have expertise, the committee would love to hear from you. Especially when legislation is being debated in Congress or during the rule-making period (when the parameters of a law are set and its enforcement determined) it is important for professionals in the field to contribute their thoughts on proposed laws or rules.

As you likely know, there’s been a lot of action on Capitol Hill concerning higher education and particularly the student affairs and safety sides of things, and our committee has been working hard on ACUHO-I’s response to these issues. In the rule-making process right now is legislation on fire safety reporting; crime statistics and institutional security policy reporting (including missing persons reporting); emergency procedures; readmission requirements for service members; and file-sharing education. Obviously, housing is very closely connected to  many of these issues and we’re particularly interested in some of these, particularly the fire safety reporting. Check out this letter: Letter to Dept of Ed for HEOA Draft. It was written by ACUHO-I and our partner associations, regarding our thoughts on the rule-making process. If you can contribute your professional thoughts, we would greatly appreciate it.

This week’s items from InsideHigherEd.com are filled with legislation news regarding student financial aid plus news about enrollment figures.

HOUSE PASSES STUDENT AID BILL: Legislation to reshape loan programs and bolster Pell Grants and community colleges passes along partisan lines. Now focus shifts to the Senate:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/09/18/aid

MORE AID DOESN’T MEAN  MORE GRADUATES: Study finds that massive infusion of grant aid in Quebec increased students’ college going and persistence, but did not raise graduation rates:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/09/14/aid

STEEP HILL TO CLIMB: Lacking major push for college access like that envisioned by White House and others, enrollments would grow by only 13 percent through 2018, far short of President Obama’s goal, U.S. study finds:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/09/16/nces

GROWING GRADUATE ENROLLMENTS: Gains by female, minority and American students led to 4.5 percent increase in those starting programs in fall of 2008:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/09/16/enroll

DODGING THE BULLET: Many feared private colleges would lose students amid the recession, but on average they’ve slightly increased enrollment, according to a new survey:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/20/naicu

“NEW CONVERSATION” ON BLACK COLLEGES: Obama administration’s pick to lead White House initiative says it is time to emphasize excellence, and move beyond the “against great odds” narrative:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/21/wilson

NO VACANCY: California’s community colleges are being told to enroll more and more students — even as they cannot find ways to educate and graduate those already there:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/21/california

AID BILL MOVES, AMID MISGIVINGS: House panel approves sweeping changes in college grant and loan programs, despite strenuous objections of Republicans and significant discomfort of most college groups:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/22/house

A student at Community College of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania wanted to start a club. So she created a brochure about her intended group and distributed it on campus. College officials called the student to the dean’s office and told her she should follow established channels for creating a student group: Completing an application; showing that at least 10 students have an interest in the group; and getting a faculty adviser. The student also says, however, that Community College of Allegheny County officials questioned the purpose of her group, and advised her not to move forward with its formation. College officials say their concerns were centered on preventing unauthorized solicitation on campus.

Christine Brashier was attempting to form a chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, and she says the intent of her proposed group was the real problem, that the leadership of her school is attempting to thwart her attempts to start a pro-concealed-carry organization. Brashier contacted the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (better known as FIRE), and FIRE wrote college president Alex Johnson with their concerns. In this Boston Globe story, representatives of FIRE claim that similar issues have arisen at other institutions as well.

Those Golden Gophers from Minnesota are the the first college in the country to use Build America Bonds to help fund new campus constrution projects. According to InsideHigherEd.com, these bonds were created to help state and local governments raise money for building projects by making it significantly cheaper for them to issue taxable bonds.

Among the intended projects listed in the official release from the school, was a new residence hall on the university’s Crookston campus. The article also discusses how the University of West Florida is taking advantage of additional changes in tax law that will open more funding options for their much-needed new residence hall; receiving a $15 million loan that would not have been possible just three months ago.

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

CAN WE BE BUDS? More than 130 college presidents called for rethinking the drinking age to curb alcohol abuse. Marijuana activists say reducing penalties for pot could have the same effect:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/09/pot

A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP: When bishops and college presidents don’t get along, things can get very complicated for those leading Catholic colleges:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/10/scranton

10% ADMISSIONS — THE FULL IMPACT: New studies show dramatic shifts since Texas enacted law – toward reaching more high schools, but possibly excluding more transfers from community colleges:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/06/texas

GI BILL LETS VETERANS TAKE FLIGHT: Literally. Final figures for maximum tuition and fees payable to veterans climb even higher, driven upwards by high-cost programs like aviation:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/09/gi

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

TRANSPARENT BOYCOTT TARGET: After Washington U. in St. Louis bans the sale of bottled water on campus, other anti-bottle campaigns gain momentum.
http://insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/19/water

NEW CHALLENGE TO GUN LIMITS ON CAMPUSES: Suspension of student at Western Oregon U. leads to calls to end firearms ban at colleges and universities in the state.
http://insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/16/guns

THE BUZZ AND SPIN ON 3-YEAR DEGREES: Idea of shaving a year off of college completion time gains attention. Some see ideal way to cut costs for students and institutions, others see a gimmick, and — to date — students haven’t embraced it.
http://insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/17/three

BAD BUDGET THAT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE: As California leaders end impasse, plan to close huge gap cuts hundreds of millions in college operating support, but spares student aid and funds community college enrollment growth.
http://insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/20/california

THE NEW REVERSE TRANSFER: Part of the enrollment boom at community colleges comes from those who have left four-year institutions. Their choices — surprising to some — are saving money and may improve their odds at earning bachelor’s degrees.
http://insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/18/reverse

Last year, Congress passed a number of laws dealing with campus safety; among these were the Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know regulations, which were included in the Higher Education Act. These regulations require institutions to report the number of fires, deaths in fires, and injuries from fires; how many beds are in halls with sprinklers and fire alarms; and the fire safety training provided to students and staff.

However, like all laws, there’s the rules, and then there are the rules that make up the rules. And this is the part of the process the Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know legislation has reached. The US Department of Education is in the rule-making stage of the process, and they are seeking input.

Campus Firewatch has set up a handy site for those who would like to contribute their thoughts on how best this legislation can be worded and executed. If you would like to participate as a member of ACUHO-I through our Public Policy Advisory Committee, let us know!

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

THE FINAL STIMULUS BILL: As details emerge, funds for science, students and states are plentiful; less so for college facilities and private institutions:
http://www.insidehighered.com/index.php/news/2009/02/13/stimulus

A NATIONAL (BUT NOT FEDERAL) STUDENT DATABASE: Grant from Gates Foundation aims to transform nonprofit clearinghouse into mechanism to track high school students through college — and, perhaps, eventually beyond:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/13/data

‘THE COMPANY HE KEEPS’: Author of new book on the history of fraternities discusses their positive, not so positive and unexpected histories:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/13/syrett

EARLY DECISION AND THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN: Because of maturity level, some high school students may be at even more of a disadvantage than their peers when it comes to making an early commitment to a college, study finds:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/12/early

ARE COLLEGE ATHLETES PSYCHING THEMSELVES OUT? Study suggests perceived threat of confirming negative stereotypes may cause some — but not all — of academic achievement gap between athletes and non-athletes:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/11/stereotype

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

FIRST-GENERATION RESIDENCE: In twist on the theme house concept, U. of Cincinnati focuses on first-generation, low-income freshmen:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/01/21/firstgen

DORM LIVING AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE: Some small colleges are using the Myers-Briggs personality test to either match freshman roommates or help resolve conflict between them:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/12/12/myersbriggs

IT’S CULTURE, NOT MORALITY: What if academics have been fighting the wrong war against plagiarism? What if it’s not even a war? In new book, anthropologist doesn’t argue for you to drop standards, but she challenges longstanding strategies:
http://insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/03/myword

STIMULATING BOON FOR SMALL COLLEGES: Lost amid big-dollar provisions in stimulus bill is tax code change that could make it easier for private institutions to borrow for capital projects:
http://insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/02/stimulus

NOT SO THRILLED: In latest thriller, John Grisham ties a rape scene to Duquesne U., not the U. of Virginia where he drew his inspiration. The choice rankles Duquesne officials and and revives a story UVa might rather put behind it:
http://insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/02/grisham

So you’ve probably heard something about a stimulus package that Congress is concocting, and you might have also gathered that some parts of it benefit higher education, specifically renovation of facilities (not new-build) in higher education.

But how can you educate yourself on how this legislation could benefit you and take advantage of these opportunities?  First, pay attention to ACUHO-I’s announcements and e-mails in the coming weeks.  Second, check out these Web sites, which make the legalease a bit easier to digest.

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities NCEF has put together a great site on how the stimulus package affects school facilities. They neatly explain how the funds are allowed to be used.

Shovel Ready SCUP’s site’s title refers to the tight turnaround required by recipients of federal funds for renovation. Projects you wish to fund must be planned and “shovel-ready,” with only a few last-minute preparations to go. This is not the time to look for a new project. Instead, go through your list of renovation to-dos: energy-efficient windows to replace old, leaky ones; modernizing a building with new technology; or replacing an old roof. The major restrictions won’t affect residence halls much: monies cannot be used for sports facilites that charge admission or for a building in which worship services are held. The money also comes with use-it-or-lose-it time restrictions.

Keep an eye on the Chronicle of Higher Education, for stories such as this: The $7-Billion Patch for Campus Maintenance.

Also, talk to your colleagues through the ACUHO-I Social Network, and share tips and ideas on how to identify projects and get the money to make them happen.

The American Council on Education provided this handy summary of what the Higher Education Act, recently signed into law, means for higher education professionals. Much of the precise rules and how they will be applied will be worked out in the coming year, as the Education Department determines how it will use the provisions. If you are unsure of how the act will affect your campus, let us know: emily@acuho-i.org. We’ll try to help you figure that out.

There’s a lot of garbage being thrown around at a political convention. No, really. Actual garbage. Fortunately, as The Chronicle of Higher Education reports, more than 450 students, faculty, and staff from Colorado State University have volunteered to help sort mountains of garbage; separating plastic from paper and the compostables from the recyclables.

It’s commitment like this that help CSU get named as one of the country’s “greenest” campuses by Newsweek magazine. And, perhaps, some aspiring political science major will be able to add this experience to his or her resume as an introduction to the dirty business of politics.

With the Olympics complete, all eyes are now turning to the politics game. As the political conventions are in full-swing in the United States, the interest will only rise and college campuses can become active sites of debate and campaigning.

How important a role will college students play in the upcoming presidential election? A study by the Center for Information and Research Civic Learning and Education (CIRCLE) explains that 79 percent of the youth in the 2008 Super Tuesday primaries on February 5 had attended college. It also noted that one in four eligible young voters with college experience voted on that day, compared to only one in 14 eligible individuals with no college experience. Fortunately, there are a number of initiatives working to engage students to be productive partners in the process.

The National Campus Voter Registration Project is making news with its Your Vote Your Voice program. The informative Web site offers practical and applicable information regarding election laws and policies as well as guidelines on how to organize campus voter registration drives.

The Campus Compact Web site has details on its Campus Vote Initiative, designed to encourage higher institutions to educate and empower students to stay engaged throughout  the election. Author Paul Loeb — who many of you may remember from his presentation at the 2007 ACUHO-I Annual Conference & Exposition in Seattle — has also taken on the cause of engaging students in the electoral process and has created his own starter’s guide to organizing a non-partisan voter registration drive.

And, as a bona fide Generation Xer, I would be completely remiss if I didn’t include Rock the Vote.

Finally, NASPA has made a number of voting resources available on its Web site including details about discovering whether or not your campus is in compliance with the 1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, in which it was mandated all colleges and universities participating in federal student aid programs must make a good-faith effort to distribute voter registration forms to students.

Will it be a hot campaign season on your campus? Do you have plans and programs in mind for voter registration? Share your thoughts and check back as we highlight some stand-out programs we’ve heard of.