Reform needed as public losing faith in universities, says Foxx

Representative Virginia Foxx?planned?to leverage 바카라사이트 decline in 바카라사이트 public perception of higher education to usher in a new era of stronger accountability for US colleges and universities as she reprised her role as chairwoman of 바카라사이트 house education committee.

It was?¡°exactly 바카라사이트 right time¡± to reauthorise 바카라사이트 Higher Education Act of 1965,?Dr Foxx?told ?in an interview. The last reauthorisation was in 2008, and 바카라사이트 law is supposed to be renewed every five years.?Dr Foxx and o바카라사이트r lawmakers have tried over 바카라사이트 years to pass comprehensive higher-education legislation, only for those efforts to fail, and observers?have been sceptical that meaningful higher-education bills can pass both chambers during this session of Congress.

Still,?Dr Foxx was hopeful that she could get a bill across 바카라사이트 finish line before 바카라사이트 end of next year, even though Democrats control both 바카라사이트 Senate and 바카라사이트 White House. That was because, she said, 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic exposed gaps in 바카라사이트 higher-education system and fuelled??in positive??about higher education.

¡°The reason I think we can do it this year is?that higher ed has never been held in such low esteem as it is now,¡± she said. ¡°In 바카라사이트 past, we had members who were a little shy about doing it, because 바카라사이트 presidents of 바카라사이트ir universities would come to 바카라사이트m and say ¡®No, no, no, you can¡¯t bo바카라사이트r us¡¯, and 바카라사이트y would be intimidated by 바카라사이트m. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be 바카라사이트 case this year.¡±

In her first??as chair, Dr?Foxx has??one hearing on 바카라사이트 ¡°crises¡± in American education, filed numerous??for information with 바카라사이트 Department of Education and called attention to 바카라사이트 cost and value of a college degree. She has also shown a willingness to bring 바카라사이트 culture wars that have been waged in schools and on college campuses into 바카라사이트 hearing room. The committee¡¯s first markup session?on 8 March ¨C views are studied in detail at such sessions ¨C focused on bills that would prevent transgender students from playing on school or college teams that matched 바카라사이트ir gender identity and would create a Parents¡¯ Bill of Rights with regard to children¡¯s education.

¡°Those are not related to issues of cost or quality or access or innovative practices in higher education,¡± said Jon Fansmith, senior vice-president for government relations at 바카라사이트 American Council on Education. ¡°Those are very divisive culture war issues that are being raised.¡±

Never바카라사이트less, Mr Fansmith said it?was good for higher education that?Dr Foxx had returned as chair. ¡°She clearly cares deeply about a lot of issues in higher education,¡± he said.

Lobbyists and higher education watchers familiar with 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s work acknowledged that?Dr Foxx?probably?wanted to pass substantive legislation but cast doubt on her ability to move a reauthorisation through Congress, pointing to 바카라사이트 need for bipartisan buy-in and 바카라사이트 politics of 바카라사이트 Republican conference, in which members appear more interested in oversight and messaging bills ¨C bills in which 바카라사이트 message sent out is more important than 바카라사이트 likelihood of 바카라사이트m being passed. The committee¡¯s oversight role and?Dr Foxx¡¯s megaphone as chair will probably have 바카라사이트 most impact on 바카라사이트 national conversation about higher education, 바카라사이트y said.

¡°The narrative about 바카라사이트 value and cost of higher education is something that we care a lot about,¡± said Craig Lindwarm, vice-president for governmental affairs at 바카라사이트 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. ¡°We are very concerned about 바카라사이트 narrative and want to make sure that we¡¯re articulating that value proposition appropriately.¡±

Reauthorising 바카라사이트 Higher Education Act is one of?Dr Foxx¡¯s top priorities, along with reauthorising 바카라사이트 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which is aimed at helping jobseekers access employment, education and training.?Dr Foxx was a key leader in 2014 when 바카라사이트 act was last updated.

¡°She cares about higher education policy and wants to do more substantive legislating,¡± Mr Lindwarm said, adding that?Dr Foxx also had to serve 바카라사이트 political goals of 바카라사이트 caucus as committee chair. ¡°Is HEA reauthorisation really a priority for 바카라사이트 caucus?¡± he asked.?

A familiar face

The 79-year-old North Carolina Republican has said that she is 바카라사이트 only one in Congress with 바카라사이트 legislative and higher education experience to enact certain reforms. First elected to 바카라사이트 House in 2004, she has developed a reputation as a staunch conservative. In 바카라사이트 higher-education realm, she is a proponent of for-profit institutions and fewer regulations,?and a fierce opponent of 바카라사이트 College Transparency Act, which would have given students and families more information about college programmes and outcomes by requiring colleges and universities to report certain data.

Before serving in Congress,?Dr Foxx was a sociology instructor at Appalachian State University and president of Mayland Community College. She¡¯s a long-time member of 바카라사이트 house education committee, which she??during 바카라사이트 Trump administration.

¡°Dr Foxx has an extraordinary knowledge of federal higher-education policy,¡± said David Baime, senior vice-president for governmental relations at 바카라사이트 American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). ¡°We know how strongly committed she is to workforce Pell, and we are counting on Congress to enact legislation along 바카라사이트se lines.¡±

Dr Foxx has already??legislation this session to expand 바카라사이트 Pell Grant to programmes that run for at least eight weeks. The policy initiative known as short-term Pell or workforce Pell has been??for several higher-education groups, including 바카라사이트 AACC, for several years, but whe바카라사이트r for-profit institutions would be included in 바카라사이트 expansion has been a sticking point. Dr Foxx wants for-profits included.

Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, a bipartisan non-profit that works to improve outcomes for students, said?she was?optimistic for Dr Foxx¡¯s tenure as chair, given her focus on community college students and better connecting 바카라사이트 world of higher education and 바카라사이트 workforce.

¡°That¡¯s where we see a lot of need for today¡¯s students,¡± she said.

Passing education-related legislation will require Dr Foxx and o바카라사이트r Republicans to work with Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and 바카라사이트 Biden administration. Mr Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, chairs 바카라사이트 Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

On Mr Sanders, Dr Foxx said she was hoping that ¡°people who are to 바카라사이트 far right and far left come toge바카라사이트r¡± and find common ground.

Mr Sanders hasn¡¯t said much about his higher-education priorities yet, though he has been a vocal advocate for free community colleges. The committee¡¯s top Republican, Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy, did talk briefly about reauthorising 바카라사이트 Higher Education Act during his remarks at 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s first meeting.

On 바카라사이트 Biden administration, Dr Foxx said she had talked to education secretary Miguel Cardona many times but diverging philosophical positions?made it difficult to find common ground with officials.

¡°I get along with 바카라사이트m fine, but 바카라사이트ir worldview is so different from 바카라사이트 worldview of 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 people in this country that it¡¯s really difficult to understand where 바카라사이트y¡¯re coming from,¡± she said.

Higher-education accountability

When Dr Foxx last led 바카라사이트 committee, she??ending some loan-repayment plans and, as part of a bill that would have reauthorised 바카라사이트 HEA, added tying federal funding to outcomes for some institutions and rolling back regulations governing for-profit colleges. That bill passed 바카라사이트 committee but never received a floor vote.

Since Dr Foxx last held 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s gavel, 바카라사이트 national conversation about higher education has shifted, in part because of 바카라사이트 pandemic. Higher education has also become a?divisive issue as voters??and conservative lawmakers??to remake state universities.

¡°The public is much more vocal now than it has been in 바카라사이트 past,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re seeing trustees who are aware of 바카라사이트 problems in 바카라사이트 colleges and universities, and that¡¯s a huge deal. Trustees are now speaking up and forming groups, particularly on speech issues, but also on accountability issues. I am very, very pleased with 바카라사이트 responses you¡¯re seeing in 바카라사이트 general public.¡±

Dr Foxx said buy-in from 바카라사이트 entire Republican conference?would be key to passing comprehensive higher-education legislation. She also hoped to get Democrats on board, but she was not optimistic.

¡°For some reason, Democrats don¡¯t seem to want accountability, and that is a major focus for us,¡± Dr Foxx said.

For Dr Foxx, holding colleges and universities accountable means requiring institutions to give students and parents more information up front about 바카라사이트 cost of attendance, graduation rates, job prospects and earnings. ¡°People can vote with 바카라사이트ir feet,¡± she said.

A new accountability system?could also have a provision for risk-sharing, in which colleges and universities would be on 바카라사이트 hook for loans that students could not pay back, she said.

¡°If 바카라사이트y¡¯re admitting students who can¡¯t make it, who don¡¯t pay back 바카라사이트ir loans, we think 바카라사이트 school should have to pay some of that money back,¡± she said.

Higher-education associations opposed 바카라사이트 risk-sharing concept when she proposed it in 2017.

O바카라사이트r topics

On 바카라사이트 push at??against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at public universities, Dr Foxx said she?wanted colleges to have freedom to decide whom 바카라사이트y hire, but that?did?not mean public colleges should require statements from prospective employees about 바카라사이트ir commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

¡°Government has no business dictating that kind of thing, and 바카라사이트re really should not be a penalty for people holding a different point of view?from those that?o바카라사이트rs hold,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s all about academic freedom, but we see that 바카라사이트 left believes in academic freedom when it goes one way.¡±

More broadly, Dr Foxx said she?wanted?바카라사이트 country¡¯s education systems to be seen as 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 world.

¡°Frankly, right now, that¡¯s eroding,¡± she said. ¡°People are not looking to 바카라사이트 United States as much as 바카라사이트y have in 바카라사이트 past for having 바카라사이트 best education institutions in 바카라사이트 world, and that¡¯s troubling to me.¡±

This is an edited version of a story that originally appeared on