Human Resources Spring Conference - April 24th
Join the Mississippi Valley HR Association for an afternoon of learning and networking with HR professionals from throughout Southeast Iowa. Gain valuable insight from industry experts, earn SHRM credits, and enhance your professional development. This conference will take place Thursday, April 24th from 1-4:30pm at the Capitol Theater in Downtown Burlington. The member rate is $50/person, and the non-member rate is $65/person. The conference will feature mentoring and coaching with Heather Woody, post-election regulatory shifts with Russ Curry, and Take this Job and Love it! An Ecologist's Guide to Loving your Work with Chris Lee. For more conference details, click here.
Federal Updates
April is Community College Month! This is a time to reach out and remind your elected officials about the importance community colleges have in your communities. Take action by letting them know to join the Congressional Community College Caucus and to cosponsor the Congressional Resolution recognizing the significance of "Community College Month" which identifies April as Community College Month. Also, please check out ACCT's Community College Month toolkit to help you advocate for community colleges all month long!
A major milestone was cleared for reconciliation, a filibuster-proof budgetary mechanism for items that involve direct/mandatory spending or taxation. Both Senate and House Appropriations committees issued guidance to Senate and House members on submitting programmatic requests (which are requests for funding support to federal programs) and Community Projects Funding (known as Congressionally Directed Spending Requests in the Senate), also known as earmarks, for fiscal year 2026 (FY 26). They have now begun working on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills. For the next week and a half, Congress will be out of session which means that lawmakers are working in their districts. This provides an opportunity to invite your Member of Congress to events hosted by your community college or set up meetings at their district office. Members of Congress seek opportunities to learn the latest updates impacting their communities and constituents.
With the 119th Congress underway, ACCT has sent numerous letters advocating to members of Congress and the Administration on the importance of community colleges and workforce development. These letters urge appropriations leaders to support the Pell Grant Program, Strengthening Community College Training Grants (SCCTG), the Higher Education Act Strengthening Institutions Program (Title III-A), workforce development, TRIO, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR-UP), Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS), and other vital programs that facilitate favorable outcomes for community colleges and their students.
The Trump Administration has suggested that President Trump will sign an executive order that would impact college accreditation. REMINDER! On April 29th, there will be an in-person hearing for public comment on the Department of Education's Rulemaking Process.
NCWE Annual Conference Call for Proposals Open
The 2025 National Council for Workforce Education Annual Conference, titled "Meeting the Moment: 30 Years Advancing Workforce Education", will be held October 7-9, 2025, in Norfolk, Virginia at the Hilton Norfolk the Main. Annual Conference Session Proposals are due May 31st and can be submitted here. For the 2025 annual conference themes and strands, click here.
Compliance in Education Symposium: Cybersecurity, Privacy, Accessibility, and Risk
On June 2, 2025, from 8:30am-4pm at Stockton University (Atlantic City Campus), the compliance in education symposium will provide attendees with practical insights to strengthen institutional compliance, protect sensitive data, and foster a secure, inclusive digital environment while navigating the complexities of modern education. You can register here. You can also share your compliance expertise at the symposium by participating in their call for proposals, centered around data privacy and governance; digital accessibility and inclusive design; ADA compliance; regulatory compliance and legal frameworks; cybersecurity compliance (GLBA, PCI, NIST, and more); compliance and cyberinsurance; AI, automation, and risk; institutional risk management and resilience; vendor and third-part risk compliance; culture of compliance: training and leadership; emerging threats and future-proofing compliance; and case studies in compliance success.
Course Development Grant for Faculty
There is an open call for proposals for faculty at community colleges in the Midwest to apply for course development grants of up to $2,000. Eligible proposals include but are not limited to developing new courses or modules; creating or updating educational resources; and organizing guest lectures and virtual exchanges. Courses may be in any discipline but must have significant content related to European studies. Applications are due Sunday, May 4. Please direct any questions to eucenter@illinois.edu.