/>iLegislative Activity
This Week’s Hearings:
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Wednesday, April 29: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education will hold a hearing at 8:30 a.m. featuring public and outside witnesses to testify on the FY 2016 appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.
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Thursday, April 30: The House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training will hold a hearing at 10:00 a.m. titled “Improving College Access and Completion for Low-Income and First-Generation Students.”
Executive Branch Activity
Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Releases Guidance on Title IX Coordinator Designee
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released a guidance package emphasizing the responsibility of school districts, colleges and universities to designate a Title IX coordinator. The package includes an overview of the law’s requirements in several key areas, including athletics, single-sex education, sex-based harassment, and discipline. More specifically, the guidance package includes three documents:
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A Dear Colleague letter reminding institutions of their obligation to designate a Title IX coordinator;
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A letter to Title IX coordinators that provides information on their important role and commending them for their efforts; and
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A Title IX resource guide that outlines the responsibilities and authority of a Title IX coordinator, the basic Title IX administrative requirements, how to handle specific Title IX situations as well as information on collecting and reporting Title IX incidents.
Department of Education Hosts Webinar on First in the World Program
The Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education recently hosted a webinar on the First in the World (FITW) grant program to help potential applicants prepare for the application process. In an effort to share the information more broadly, the Department has posted the script of the webinar, power point presentation and the question and answers from the April 15, 2015 webinar on its website. In addition, the Department plans to host three additional webinars once the final notice inviting applicants is announced.
Furthermore, the Office of Postsecondary Education is seeking peer reviewers from various backgrounds and professions to evaluate applications for this year’s FITW competition. More specifically, the Department is seeking (1) college and university educators and administrators; (2) educational evaluators; (3) entrepreneurs, developers, and innovators in higher education; and (4) curriculum development specialists as well as others with higher education experience. To learn more about how to apply to become a peer reviewer or for more information, see the peer reviewers section of the website.
