University Business - February 2008 - (Page 33)

ON THE HILL HEA Renewal Nears Passage (We Swear) Higher ed community still concerned over some issues N THE MIDST OF AN INTEN sive schedule of primary elections around the country, members of Congress are hard-pressed to focus on the public’s legislative business. But one key measure important to colleges and universities—reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA)—appeared to be a step closer to enactment as the new year began. House Democrats signaled that they were likely to seek a ﬁnal ﬂoor vote early in the 2008 opening session on the College Opportunity and Aﬀordability Act (H.R. 4137), legislation that would reauthorize the HEA, the primary federal law aimed at expanding college access for low- and middle-income students. Then all that would be left would be a conference with the Senate to agree on a ﬁnal version of the measure early this year. H.R. 4137 is the second of two major higher education bills introduced in the current Congress. The ﬁrst, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, was signed into law by President Bush last September. It provides an additional $20 billion in ﬁnancial aid for students and families over the next ﬁve years. As approved unanimously by the House Education and Labor Committee in November, H.R. 4137 builds on the earlier funding boost by “reducing or eliminating many of the obstacles that prevent fully qualiﬁed students from going to college,” said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the committee chair, at the time. The measure “reﬂects the bipartisan consensus that has emerged about the need to rein in rising college costs,” added the panel’s senior Republican, Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (Calif.). The legislation universitybusiness.com By Alan Dessoﬀ In a letter in late November to presidents of other postsecondary organizations, ACE’s president, David Ward, vowed stepped-up eﬀorts to resolve as many of the troubling provisions as possible before the ﬁnal House vote and subsequent conference with the Senate. One last-minute amendment, oﬀered by Rep. Rob Andrews (D-N.J.) and accepted by the committee on a voice vote— much to the displeasure of the higher ed community—struck important language on accreditation from the bill. “We are taking particular care to work on resolving this important issue,” Ward said, also in the letter. IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER Meanwhile, as 2008 began, ACE and several other higher ed associations were laying the groundwork for a ﬁght on another issue: extension of the expiring IRA Charitable Rollover. It permits IRA owners starting at age 70½ to make tax-free gifts totaling up to $100,000 annually from their IRAs directly to eligible charities— including colleges and universities. To gather information on the impact of the provision as a critical part of their advocacy eﬀorts for the extension, ACE and other associations planned to launch a survey of IRA Rollover donations to higher ed institutions. The groups encouraged institutions to participate in the survey to help make a compelling case for the continuation of the key giving incentive. Neal Raisman is president of AcademicMAPS, a consultancy specializing in customer service in higher education. His book is Embrace the Oxymoron: Customer Service in Higher Education (LRP Publishers, 2002). I Requirements of the pending legislation include attempts to control peer-to-peer ﬁle sharing. contains a number of provisions welcomed by the higher education community. The American Council on Education cites year-round Pell Grants and simpliﬁcation of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. ACE also supports an amendment offered by Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to strengthen the value of the student loan cohort default rate as an indicator of institutional viability and integrity. But as the measure neared ﬁnal passage, ACE leaders remained concerned about many of its other parts, including what they call new “complex and confusing” provisions on college costs and hundreds of new reporting and record-keeping requirements that would be imposed on colleges and universities. Among other things, the requirements include attempts to regulate ﬁre safety on campus, control peer-to-peer ﬁle sharing using university computer networks, and disclose information on donors of all foreign and domestic gifts above $1 million. February 2008 | 33 http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - February 2008

University Business - February 2008
Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Stats Watch
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Future Shock
Independent Outlook
On the Hill
Facilities Focus
Cover Story: Orientation Rites: Seal the Deal
A Sense of Security
Growing the Giving Tree
Are We Covered?
Baby Boomers, Back to Campus
Internet Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
End Note

University Business - February 2008