NIRSA’s Government Affairs Committee stays up-to-date on the latest federal and state policy and legislative news through a variety of scanning tools. One particular resource they use is the bi-weekly Policy Pages provided by Active Policy Solutions. (For more on partnership, along with other SAHEC associations, have with Active Policy Solutions, see below.)

The policy issues included in the Policy Pages document are highlights of a point in time. They are by no means exhaustive and change continually – so matters discussed in the last issue normally will not carry over to the next unless there is some updated action to be discussed.

The Committee encourages NIRSA members to keep themselves informed on federal and state policy issues affecting their work as professionals on campuses. These issues could be specific to higher education, physical activity, or NIRSA’s strategic value areas. If you have an issue that is of concern to your campus, reach out the Government Affairs Committee.

Policy Page documents will be stored, as a resource for NIRSA members, in the NIRSA Connect Community library. You can find them within the “Member Benefits” folder in a subfolder titled “Federal and State Policy Pages.”


In this issue:

Government Updates

Federal Education

  • School and college COVID safe operations best practices clearinghouse released by US Department of Education
  • College effectiveness rules to be reviewed and likely revised by to-be-established US Department of Education rule-making committee
  • Youth transgender athlete can sue West Virginia over athlete ban, judge rules
  • Religious and speech rights cases result in University of Iowa paying $1.9M in settlement

Federal Health

  • COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors of the Biden Administration halted by judge
  • COVID-19 vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard interim final rule comment period extended by US Department of Labor

Other Federal News

  • Women will not be added to the draft as lawmakers drop proposal to defense bill according to POLITICO
  • Congressional Campus Free Speech Caucus working with former governor of Wisconsin on ways Congress could tie funding to free speech protections reports The College Fix

State and Local Government

Montana

  • Montana gun free zone prohibiting law stopped by court

Utah

  • Utah school and college single sex sports participation bill fails to pass the legislature before the session ends but is carried over to 2022

Education

  • College COVID-19 considerations released by American College Health Association (ACHA)
  • COVID-19 in colleges
  • College “gap year” student enrollment rebound is not happening according to Higher Ed Dive
  • College students who are single mothers receive support from community college pilot programs
  • South Dakota colleges board calling for dropping terms ‘diversity’ for ‘opportunity centers’ cause staff to leave according to The Globe
  • Large college football coaches’ contracts subject of Inside Higher Ed article
  • NCAA constitution updated after special convention
  • Mental Health Best Practices for student athletes publication released by the NCAA

Activities

  • Title IX allowing transgender athletes to take women’s scholarships question discussed in Washington Examiner opinion article

Health & Wellness

  • COVID-19 updates
  • College students show a decline in mental and physical health since COVID-19 according to new data
  • One in six college freshmen has ADHD according to a new study
  • Telehealth services expanded at California community colleges

About NIRSA’s partnership with Active Policy Solutions

As an association, NIRSA strives to monitor and track policy and legislative issues with the potential to impact our members or the campus communities they serve. These issues are wide ranging and may pertain to higher education, employment law, physical fitness, or our strategic values areas.

NIRSA has joined with a subset of SAHEC members (ACUHO-I, ACPA, ASCA, NASPA, and NIRSA) in hiring Active Policy Solutions to assist with monitoring, tracking, analyzing, and determining appropriate action on issues relevant to our associations. Through our partnership with SAHEC, NIRSA continues to monitor policy, legislation, and advocacy work that affects both the higher education and physical activity space. Active Policy Solutions provides government relations and advocacy support to NIRSA and the Association’s SAHEC partners.

  • For more information, please contact NIRSA Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships Erin O’Sullivan.
Headshot of Erin O'Sullivan
Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships at  | NIRSA Profile

Erin O'Sullivan is currently the Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships at NIRSA.