■Letters published by the Department provided guidance on compliance with Financial Value Transparency (FVT) and Gainful Employment (GE) regulations and GE program length restrictions. The regulations go into effect on July 1, 2024. The letter on FVT provides information on applicability, eligibility, exclusions, and reporting requirements. The letter on program length restrictions provides information on short-term programs, flexibilities for existing students, completion and placement rate requirements, the limited waiver of the two-year rule, and reporting requirements.

 

■The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the final Pregnant Workers Fairness Act rule will go into effect June 18, 2024. The regulation requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employee or applicant’s known limitations related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions—unless the accommodation will cause the employer undue hardship.

 

■The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted to ban noncompete clauses. The final rule goes into effect 120 days after it is published in the Federal Register. The US Chamber of Commerce and other business entities say they will sue because the rule deprives them of an essential trade secret protection tool. However, some experts believe the rule will have a beneficial effect.

 

■The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published an update to the guidance for Grants and Agreements (OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance) in the Federal Register. The guidance goes into effect on October 1, 2024, although federal agencies may elect to comply earlier. Notable among the provision of the update is the raising of the single audit threshold from $750,000 to $1,000,000 per year and setting the threshold for determining items that are considered to be equipment at $10,1000. Also, the terminology used has been updated for simplicity and consistency.

 

Dr. Oscar Jerome Green
1954 - 2024
Dr. O. Jerome Green, president of Shorter College since 2012 passed away on April 7, 2024. Dr. Green was an attorney and ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. We offer his family, friends, colleagues, and the Shorter College community our deepest sympathies and prayers.

 

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■The Employee Benefits Security Administration published a final rule that expands the definition of an investment advice fiduciary and an amendment to the Prohibited Transaction Exemptions. These updates to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) go into effect June 17, 2024, and September 23, 2024, respectively—with a one-year transition period for certain provisions. ERISA was passed in 1974. By 2021 over 21 class-action lawsuits had been filed against institutions of higher education alleging violations. Recently, plaintiffs in Cunningham v. Cornell University petitioned the US Supreme Court to clarify what evidence is required to substantiate a claim that a fiduciary engaged in transactions prohibited by the ERISA.

 

■The Department of Labor (DOL) updated the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime pay rule. Effective July 1, 2024, the salary thresholds will be $43,888 for administrative, executive, and professional employees and $132,964 for highly compensated employees. The increase was calculated using the current methodology. However, beginning January 1, 2025, a new methodology will be enforced. At that time, the salary thresholds will increase to $68,656 for administrative, executive, and professional employees and $151,164 for highly compensated employees. The threshold will be adjusted every three years effective July 1, 2027. In addition to the press release, DOL published an overview, FAQ, and an earnings threshold chart. A list of fact sheets is available as well.

 

■The Department announced borrowers who are incarcerated can exit default by consolidating their loans. The initiative will help incarcerated students improve their credit and gain access to better repayment options including income-driven repayment plans like the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan. Borrowers who consolidate their loans will be eligible to sign up for Fresh Start until September 30, 2025.

 

■The Department published a proposed amendment to the Higher Education Act that would modify debt collection regulations to specify the Secretary of Education’s discretionary authority to wave repayment of federal student loans under certain non exhaustive circumstances. It would, for example, authorize the Secretary to waive repayment of up to $20,000 or the amount by which the current outstanding balance exceeds the balance owed upon entering repayment. Comments close May 17, 2024.

 

■US District Judge William Alsup gave the Department additional time to complete the automatic discharges mandated by the settlement in Sweet v. Cardona, a lawsuit inherited from the Trump administration. The Department now has until the end of August to comply.

 

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■Alcorn State University named Dr. Tracy M. Cook president. Dr. Cook is currently serving in the role on an interim basis. He has been with the university for nearly a decade, serving as vice president for student affairs and enrollment management.

 

■Tuskegee University named Dr. Jacqueline A. Brooks assessment and field placement coordinator for the School of Education. She is an experienced educator and administrator having previously served as superintendent for Macon County Schools. Dr. Brooks will teach several courses in addition to performing administrative duties.

 

■Hampton University named three alumni to leadership positions: Mr. Matthew White was named assistant vice president for alumni affairs; Pamela Richardson was named director of parental relations for alumni affairs; and Brent Martin was named deputy director of athletics for facilities and event management.

 

■Tennessee State University named Mr. Duanté Abercrombie inaugural head coach of the men’s hockey team. Mr. Abercrombie was nominated by the Washington Capitals for the 2024 Willie O’Rree Community Hero Award for his work in support of the team’s Black players. 

 

■Florida A&M University named Mr. Patrick Crarey II, head men’s basketball coach. He hails from St. Thomas University where he led the team to two consecutive NAIA Tournaments.

 

■Elizabeth City State University Coach Tynesha Lewis has accepted a head coaching position at University of North Carolina Asheville. Prior to her successful stint at Elizabeth City State University, Ms. Lewis served as an assistant coach for North Carolina Central University. She played professionally for in the WNBA with the Houston Comets, the Charlotte Sting and the Minnesota Lynx.

 

■Fisk University Coach Kenny Anderson has resigned. Coach Anderson led the Bulldogs for six seasons. He is a former professional who played with several teams in the NBA. 

 

■Ms. Phyliss M. Spragin was named vice president/CFO of Rust College. She hails from the Wesley Peachtree Group where she served fourteen years as an associate. A certified internal auditor, Ms. Spragin previously held positions at Talladega College, Grambling State University and various corporations across the country.

 

■The Department of Education announced Mr. Richard Corday, chief operating officer of the Department’s Office Federal Student Aid (FSA), will leave office after his term expires in May. He will continue to oversee the completion critical FSA initiatives until the end of June. Prior to his work with the Department, Mr. Corday served as the inaugural director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

 

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■Tuskegee University received a $20,000,000 gift from an anonymous donor. The funds will be used to support a faculty leadership position and an endowed scholarship, to develop STEM programs and applied research, to enhance student affairs and campus security, and to fulfill a UNCF pooled endowment fund match.

 

■The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff received a $15,000,000 investment to build an advanced training facility for nursing instruction. The funding was included in legislation championed by US Senator John Boozman (R-AR). 

 

■Florida A&M University received a $9,000,000 grant from the Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide IT services and resources to community schools in Leon County. The funds will be used to provide technical assistance through the FAMU Developmental Research School and Leon County Public Schools. Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Allyson Watson will serve as principal investigator.

 

■Alcorn State University received a four-year $6,000,000 grant from the Department of Agriculture to research methods of combating phytophthora blight and other vegetable diseases. Dr. Emran Ali Dr. Soum Sanogo of New Mexico State University will lead. Researchers from several other institutions will provide assistance.

 

■North Carolina Central University announced its Department of Environmental, Earth, and Geospatial Sciences was awarded a $2,145,946 grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant will be used to help diversify the field of geoscience. Dr. Gordana Vlahovic will serve as principal investigator and Dr. Christopher McGinn, Dr. Rakesh Malhotra, and Dr. Timothy Mulroney will be co-principal investigators. Additional funding was granted to the University of Puerto Rico and Eastern Carolina University as part of the initiative. The institutions will work together to promote the field and change the culture of geosciences.

 

■Morehouse College received a $1,600,000 grant for the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership’s Higher Education in Prisons Program. The federal funding secured by Congresswoman Nikema Williams came from the Community Project Fund. It will be used to increase the number of incarcerated students served and the number of classes offered. Part of the grant will be earmarked to support peer mentoring and research conducted by Morehouse College students.

 

■Southern University and A&M College received $1,500,000 from the Louisiana Public Service Commission to improve the energy efficiency of the campus facilities. Commissioner Davante Lewis made the announcement at a meeting of the Southern University System Board of Supervisors. The funds will be used to upgrade the lighting in the John B. Cade Library and improve the heating and cooling system in the F.G. Clark Activity Center. The university estimates the upgrades will save over $100,000 annually.

 

■Huston-Tillotson University received an $850,000 grant from the Community Project Fund. The funding was secured by Congressman Greg Casar (D-TX). It will be used to renovate two residence halls and upgrade the 1960s student union building.

 

■Clark Atlanta University will receive $630,000 of federal funding to make public safety improvements, including the creation of a video integration communication center. The funding was secured by US Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA).

 

■Elizabeth City State University’s Aviation Workforce Development Program received a $500,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration. The Aviation Workforce Development Program focuses on getting high school students interested in and preparing them for careers as pilots, aerospace engineers, and drone operators. The grant will be used to develop curriculum, support activities such as summer programs, and provide professional development opportunities for faculty.

 

■Saint Augustine’s University received $22,000 donation during a live streamed event hosted by the Richmond Petersburg Alumni Chapter and St. Philip’s Episcopal Church of Richmond, Virginia. During the program, the Washington DC Metropolitan Alumni Chapter presented the funds it collected during the 2024 William Jefferson Jackson Honor Award Luncheon.

 

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■ Florida A&M University School of Architecture and Engineering Technology (SAET) cut the ribbon on Kaizen Collab, SAET’s digital fabrication lab. The lab includes a wood and metal shop and labs dedicated to digital fabrication, virtual reality, and mechatronics. The updates, which include a new laser cutter and a 3D printer were funded by Jacobs, a national architecture firm, under a three-year partnership with SAET. Executives from the firm joined administrators for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

 

■ North Carolina Central University men’s basketball coach, LeVelle Moton, was notified that he will receive the 2024 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award this fall. Through his Velle Cares Foundation, Coach has provided support for children, single mothers, and teachers. He is also part of a redevelopment initiative to bring affordable housing to Raleigh, North Carolina. The award was established by former president George H. Bush to recognize community service.

 

■ South Carolina State University’s Miller F. Whittaker Library has been designated as a US Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The library will help historically underserved communities protect their ideas, brands, and companies.

 

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■ University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff forester, Mr. Joe Friend, will receive the Presidential Field Forester Award from the Society of American Foresters. Mr. Friend joined the university’s Keeping it in the Family Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program in 2016. The award is bestowed in recognition of innovative forestry methods and excellence in the profession.

 

■ Dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences at Howard University, Gina S. Brown has been named a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice in Nursing. Dean Brown, PhD, MSA, RN, has served as an administrator, educator, and nurse in North America, Asia, and Africa. The designation is in recognition of enduring contribution to the profession.

 

■ Florida A&M University renamed its music business program to honor Julian “Cannonball” and Nat Adderley. The Julian “Cannonball” and Nat Adderley Music Institute is the university’s first program to be named after an individual.

 

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■  Tuskegee University is poised to launch a flight program designed to train students at Motion Field, the historic site where the preeminent Tuskegee Airmen were trained. The program will award graduates a bachelor’s degree in aviation science from Tuskegee University and a commercial multi-engine pilot license from LIFT Academy. Other collaborators include the City of Tuskegee and the Macon County Economic Development Authority. The university was recently awarded $6,700,000 in federal funding to support the initiative which will launch this fall—pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

 

■  North Carolina A&T University and the University of Minnesota announced the launch of a two-phase research partnership program. The first phase will include seminars, lectures, lab visits, hybrid workshops, and research exchange programming. The University of Minnesota will fund five collaborative proposals annually. During in the third year, the institutions will initiate at least three collaborative research projects per year, with an emphasis on furthering investigations begun during the initial phase.

 

■  Dr. Dwaun Warmack, president of Claflin University and Dr. Matt vandenBerg, president of Wesleyan University agreed to launch a “sister” school partnership between the two institutions. The universities will create an advisory board that includes students, faculty, and staff. The board will explore opportunities for collaboration including joint research projects, joint entrepreneurship initiatives, faculty exchange, professional development opportunities, student exchange, and international collaborations in Africa and elsewhere.

 

■  NeuroTech Harbor, a collaboration between Howard University and Johns Hopkins University, and the Center for Innovative Neuroscience Tech Advancement announced the inaugural “Seedling Summit.” The summit will provide a venue for showcasing technological advancements created during the six-month “Seedling Initiative” competition. Participating teams received up to $50,000 to develop technology aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of neurological problems such as strokes, Alzheimer’s Disease, and substance abuse. A panel of experts in commercialization will select three teams to receive prizes. NeuroTech Harbor was funded by the National Institutes of Health. The summit will be held on May 9, 2024 at Howard University.

 

■  Delaware State University signed an agreement with Endeavor Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. The agreement makes the university a partner institution in the airline’s Students to Endeavor Pilots Program. The program creates a pathway for graduates of the university’s aviation/ professional pilot program to embark on careers at Endeavor. As an Endeavor pilot the students could eventually fly for Delta Airlines.

 

■  Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Knight Science Journalism Program is set to launch the HBCU Science Journalism Fellowship. Ten students from HBCUs will be selected to participate. The year long program opens with a summer camp. During the year, fellows will receive support for freelance pursuits, mentorship form a professional science journalist, opportunities to pitch ideas to editors at leading publications, and travel funding to attend a national science writers conference.

 

■  Xavier University of Newe Orleans and Ochsner Health have finalized an agreement to establish the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine. Dr. Leonardo Seoana, executive vice president and chief academic officer of Ochsner Health, will serve as the institution's founding dean. The school will be located in downtown New Orleans in Benson Tower.

 

■  Chevron USA and the Fab Foundation partnered with Fort Valley State University and Florida A&M University to launch Fab Labs at the institutions. The labs will provide students and faculty access to the latest STEM technology including 3D printers, laser cutters, and resources needed to engage in prototyping, digital design, coding, and robotics. 

 

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Contact agencies or call 404-874-0555 to schedule a consultation with Strategic Financial Aid Management. 

■ For purposes of complying with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) cybersecurity provisions, the Department and Federal Student Aid (FSA) are not considered service providers or vendors to institutions.

 

■ The Department published guidance on program length restrictions for Gainful Employment programs and instructions for institutions that are required to reduce the number of hours in their Gainful Employment programs. 

 

■ An updated Federal Perkins Loan Assignment and Liquidation Guide and other resources for Campus-Based Programs are available on the Campus-Based Processing Information page. 

 

■ FSA announced Volume 3 of the 2024-2025 Federal Student Aid Handbook is available. The volume covers the academic calendar, payment period, and disbursement requirements for awarding aid under the Title IV student financial aid programs, determining a student’s cost of attendance, and packaging Title IV aid.

 

■ FSA published guidance on the use of negative Student Aid Index (SAI) in Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) selection criteria. 

 

■ FSA hosts webinars on various topics aimed at financial aid administrators. They are available via the FSA Training Center. FSA also maintains a Youtube channel dedicated to the same. An upcoming webinar on May 1, 2024 will highlight the new National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS®) reports that are available to support the Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment (FVT/GE) compliance.

 

■ The reporting deadline for compliance with Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment regulations has been extended to October 1, 2024.

 

■ The Department announced it is migrating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program, and the Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Discharge Program management to the StudentAid.gov website. Although submissions can continue, processing of PSLF and TEACH Grants will be paused beginning on May 1, 2024. Processing PSLF forms will resume in July and processing TEACH forms will resume in the fall.

 

■ The Direct Loan closeout deadline for the 2022-2023 program year is July 31, 2024. All data must be received and accepted by this date to be included in the final ending cash balance. 

 

■ FSA provided information on its enforcement discretion related to regulations scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2024. The announcement clarifies the maximum program length for certain Gainful Employment programs; the requirements for admitting students who do not have a high school diploma or equivalent; and the requirement that programs meet licensure or certification in all states where the institutions has students enrolled through distance education and correspondence courses. 

 

■ Information for financial aid and business officers regarding Federal Pell Grant Program Reconciliation, including a Q&A section and important deadlines is available. 

 

■ The Department published a reminder regarding required attestations for regular and short-term programs. The notice included information on the applicability and enforcement of recently enacted regulations. 

 

 ■ An update to the 2024–2025 Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) Technical Reference is available. 

 

■ Detailed information about the SAI is available in the 2024-25 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide.

 

■ Tentative funding levels and corresponding worksheets for the Federal Work-Study Program and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program for the 2024–2025 award year are posted on the COD website.

 

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With the end of the academic year in sight, protests have erupted at institutions across the country. Crackdowns on campuses have led to the arrest of over 900 people. Police, sometimes in riot gear, have arrested protestors at several institutions including Columbia University, New York University, Yale University, Virginia Tech University, Emerson College, California State Polytechnic University, Brown University, University of Texas at Austin, and Emory University. Remarkably, The DC police department declined to arrest peaceful protestors after being called on to do so by George Washington University. In most other instances, police have broken up demonstrations at the behest of presidents. In Texas, however, it was the governor who called out police. 

 

At Columbia University, where the wave of protests began, negotiations with protestors did not resolve the dispute. Deadlines came and went and threats of disciplinary measures did not prevent escalation. Protestors occupied Hamilton Hall after several student protestors were suspended. The campus is now closed.

 

Protestors at California State Polytechnic, Humboldt took over two buildings, including Siemens Hall, where the president’s office is located. Although the campus is officially closed due to the unrest, protestors continue to live in tents on the grounds.

 

In most cases it seems criminal charges against protestors have been dropped. However, some universities have banned, suspended, and/or evicted participants. The use of local police to stop peaceful protests has led to no confidence votes at several institutions. Faculty and governing bodies have been critical of what they see as leadership’s abdication of the responsibility to defend free speech, academic freedom, and the due-process rights of protestors.

 

At some institutions, faculty have guarded the protest camps citing fear students would be harmed. They have been among those arrested and banned. But some governing bodies disagree. Faculty at Columbia, for example, have been critical of the president’s approach while the board of trustees has expressed support.

 

The federal government has weighed in by continuing to hold congressional hearings on antisemitism on college campuses. The hearings have been overwhelmingly polarizing and acrimonious. Despite assurances from protestors and the participation of anti-war and pro-Palestinian Jewish groups, the congressional hearings regard the protests as inherently antisemitic. Columbia University Associate Professor Joseph Howley said he has not experienced antisemitism and that allegations of rampant antisemitism were being weaponized against the protestors. Members of Congress have advocated crackdowns but where implemented these have not led to resolutions. The Speaker of the House suggested the National Guard be used to remove protestors from Columbia and called on President Shafik to resign.

 

In response to protestor demands, Portland State University temporarily suspended its relationship with Boeing, a major arms dealer. The administration will hold a forum to discuss the Boeing relationship and other issues. The institution is not invested in Boeing but the company makes regular donations. Since at least 2016, students and faculty have been pressing the institution to sever ties with Boeing over weapon sales to Israel.

 

Brown University students dismantled their tent encampment after administrators agreed to discuss their divestment demands with Brown Divest Coalition and Jewish Voice for Peace. The university set a timeline for discussions that will culminate in a vote in October. However, at the same time, police were being called in to arrest students at Columbia University and UCLA.  

 

Institutions are using anti-camping rules and trespassing prohibitions—some enacted during the protests—as a means of clearing protest encampments legally. Although private institutions have more leeway in terms of restricting constitutional rights, like freedom of assembly and free speech, the courts have not established a clear line. In Texas the governor ordered public institutions to ban antisemitic speech and expel students who violate the ban. However, groups are sharply divided on the meanings of slogans used in protest speech and the rule itself may be unconstitutional.

 

In November when Florida sought to ban Students for Justice in Palestine from public institutions, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit. In March, the New York Civil Liberties Union filed suit against Columbia University for suspending Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace without following the established procedure. Columbia also faces a lawsuit filed by Jewish students who said the university put them in danger by ignoring its own safety protocols. There are bound to be more lawsuits.

 

This is a difficult time for university presidents. Although comparisons abound, today’s protest differ from 1968 in significant ways. Most notable is the proliferation and impact of social media. The internet makes communication and miscommunication, coordination and disruption faster and easier. Presidents must also consider that local police are far more militarized now than they were in the 1960s.

 

To date there have been no reports of protests at HBCUs. But there have been noteworthy developments. An initiative launched by the Academic Engagement Network aims to counter antisemitism by recognizing and celebrating historic ties between Black and Jewish communities. It was launched at South Carolina State and Vorhees Universities. AEN plans to expand to additional HBCUs next year. Participating institutions provide seminars and training funded by AEN grants of up to $75,000.

 

A group of Johnson C. Smith faculty and students have taken the Deep South Pilgrimage during spring break for the past three years. They say the tour, which is organized by the Charlotte Black Jewish Alliance, was especially impactful this year due to the crisis. Touring the historic sites, particularly Temple Mishkan Israel in Selma, Alabama, provided insights into the dangers of remaining apathetic during a crisis.

 

In terms of handling protests, the HBCU Law Enforcement Executives published Managing Campus Protests and Demonstrations at Historically Black Colleges And Universities , a guide for campus police departments that is best consulted before an incident. Although it was published in 2018, it remains a relevant resource.

 

In terms of promoting debate and preventing disruptions, there’s College Presidents for Civic Preparedness. This consortia aims to help presidents develop strategies to prepare students for active citizenship. Members attempt to find ways to promote free speech, tolerance, civic education, and diversity appreciation on their campuses. HBCU presidents Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis (Benedict College), Dr. Rochelle Ford (Dillard University), and Dr. Ben Vinson (Howard University) are members.

 

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Event: AI For All Open Education Summit 2024

Date: June 5-7, 2024

Location: Tennessee State University - Avon Williams Downtown Campus, Nashville TN

 

Event: 2024 NCBW Leadership Conference

Date: June 5-8, 2024

Location: Chicago, IL

 

Event: 5th Annual Black Women's Leadership Conference

Date: August 20, 2024

Location: Madison, WI

 

Event: Making Sense of Microcredentials

Date: Webcast

Venue: Virtual

 

Event: How to Start a Registered Apprenticeship

Date: Podcast

Venue: Virtual

 

Event: University Business Cybersecurity Webinar

Date: On Demand

Venue: Virtual

 

Event: CHEA/CIQG Annual Conference 

Date: On Demand (held Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2024)

Venue: Virtual 

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