EDUCAUSE Policy: Interesting Reads

With our "Interesting Reads" blog posts, the EDUCAUSE Policy Office highlights recent articles on federal policy issues and developments that are directly relevant to members or provide insights on higher education policy in general.

• Millions of Americans are living in higher-education deserts, report says, Washington Post, February 2, 2018. (A new report from the Urban Institute shows that approximately three million Americans live more than 25 miles from a broad-access public college and do not have a high-speed internet connect necessary for online courses.)
• When Will Tech Disrupt Higher Education?, Project Syndicate, February 5, 2018. (This opinion piece argues that while the internet era has brought on technological advances in many sectors, higher education has "continued to evolve at a glacial pace.")
• Why an Update of Higher Ed's Sweeping Framework Could Be Years Away, Chronicle of Higher Education, February 6, 2018. (Senate education committee is holding hearings on reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, but fundamental differences between the two parties may delay final legislation.)
• Professional Licensure Notifications & Disclosures for Out-of-State Courses/Programs, WCET Frontiers, February 7, 2018. (Notification and disclosure requirements for out-of-state courses and programs are laid out by Director of the State Authorization Network.)
• Higher Ed can take the lead in growing IoT economy, Education Dive, February 7, 2018. (Many institutions of higher education are beginning to train more science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students in the "internet of things" space to keep up with the sector's demand.)
• Can Congress Encourage Innovation and Protect Students?, Inside Higher Ed, February 7, 2018. (Lawmakers are rewriting the Higher Education Act, but digital learning experts are concerned about resolving current issues and maintaining necessary protections.)
• The Intellectual Properties of Learning, Inside Higher Ed, February 8, 2018. (John Willinsky's new book,The Intellectual Properties of Learning, examines the history of thought learning and uses that analysis to make certain observations about open access in the "digital era.")
• This crafty tactic may let states get around the FCC on net neutrality, The Washington Post, February 9, 2018. (New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed an Executive Order that forces Internet Service Providers doing business with the state to abide by net neutrality rules.)
• Few Surprises in White House Budget, Inside Higher Ed, February 13, 2018. (The White House released its budget proposal, and priorities mirror those of House Republicans.)
• Law School Accreditor Proposes Easing Limits on Online Education, Inside Higher Ed, February 13, 2018. (American Bar Association is proposing loosening restrictions on online education.)
• Institutional Innovation: Maximizing student outreach through artificial intelligence, Education Dive, February 14, 2018. (As many institutions of higher education continue to experience budget constraints, some are looking to artificial intelligence technologies to help bridge the gap.)
• Another law school launches hybrid online degree, Education Dive, February 15, 2018. (Syracuse University College of Law received approval to create a J.D. program where two-thirds of the coursework is taken online. There are only two other law schools that have received similar accreditation to do so.)
• The Chinese Student Threat?, Inside Higher Ed, February 15, 2018. (FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee that "nontraditional collectors" in the academic setting pose a security risk across the country as they may take advantage of the open research environment.)
• Bankruptcy Court Accepts Educause Bid for NMC Assets, Campus Technology, February 15, 2018. (A bankruptcy court in Sacramento accepted EDUCAUSE's bid to acquire the New Media Consortium, including its flagship Horizon Project.)

Jen Ortega is an outside consultant for EDUCAUSE.