Contents by
Section: November 1997
Join the Capital to Campus discussion.
From Capital to Campus. . .
...Technology and distance learning are emerging as key issues as the
House and Senate education committees begin drafting their separate versions of
the reauthorization of the 1965 Higher Education Act.NEA lobbyists, meeting with
key Congressional committee staff from both parties and representatives of the
Department of Education, are urging lawmakers to use caution as they attempt to
make the law more accommodating to technology use and distance education.While NEA supports efforts
to make it easier for colleges to use technology to expand access to higher
education, NEA lobbyists want the bill to include safeguards that will protect
against fraud and guarantee the quality of the courses.
...NEA is especially concerned about efforts by the Western Governors
University to gain a waiver of the protections of existing laws for its pilot
projects."We
need to have qualified faculty involved in creating curriculum and monitoring
its delivery," notes NEA lobbyist Isabelle Garcia.
...The National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education is continuing
to hold meetings around the country. Set up by Congress to
examine the factors surrounding rising college costs, the body expects to issue
its conclusions and recommendations in the form of an open letter in December.
