Diane Auer Jones, Principal Deputy Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Higher Education, will address the AACRAO membership during a special session on Monday, April 1, at the 2019 AACRAO Annual Meeting.
“The role of the Principal Under Secretary is vital to higher education,” said AACRAO Executive Director Mike Reilly. “The things they’re doing and the policies they pursue have a tremendous impact on our institutions, so we’re very pleased to have Ms. Jones come and engage us in discussion. This is a great opportunity to hear the administrations’ positions and the direction we may be heading on some major policy and regulations affecting our membership.”
Jones is overseeing the negotiated rulemaking process currently underway within the department. AACRAO President Tina Falkner is an alternate member on the committee and has been participating in the meetings.
The current negotiated rulemaking process proposes:
1) a rewrite of federal rules governing accreditation, non-traditional education providers, and federal funding of religious institutions, and
2) reexamining the standard definition of an academic credit hour, state authorization rules, and "regular and substantive interaction" regulations, among other things.
Jones’ remarks, moderated by Reilly, will be live streamed for members unable to attend the Annual Meeting. Following that discussion, she will accept questions from members at the meeting. Find out more here.
“We are very excited that Diane Auer Jones will be able to be part of the Annual Meeting,” said William Gil, Director of Government Relations for AACRAO. “As the point person for the Administration on higher education issues, I truly believe that the membership will benefit tremendously from her attendance, especially in getting an update on what the Department of Education is planning on doing around regulatory reforms that will directly impact our membership.”