CLIENT ALERT: Federal District Court in Missouri Issues Preliminary Injunction - Halts Enforcement of New Title IX Final Regulations for Iowa
Only July 24, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri entered a preliminary injunction against the U.S. Department of Education's final Rules under Title IX, which were set to go into effect on August 1, 2024. Overall, the Court found the Plaintiffs "met their preliminary burden of demonstrating a fair chance of prevailing on their argument that the Department of Education exceeded its statutory authority in expanding the definitions of sex discrimination and sex-based harassment and that the Final Rule's Interpretation of sex and discrimination are therefore contrary to Title IX," and that they met the other elements for a preliminary injunction. The Title IX Final Rules set to go into effect on August 1, 2024, are currently halted for all schools, colleges, and universities in the State of Iowa. However, court proceedings should be monitored, because this decision is likely to be appealed, and the enforceability of the new title IX Final Rules are being decided in other jurisdictions. If you have questions, please contact an attorney in the Ahlers & Cooney Education Law Practice Area for guidance.
Resources, Gatherings, and Conversations on Election 2024
Preparing for an election on a college campus is never simple and this year's election brings more angst and uncertainty than any in recent memory. The Seed Coalition board will lead a series of three discussions intended for presidents, chancellors, and other senior leaders on their member campuses. Seed Coalition staff will facilitate discussion intended to support faculty and staff who are engaging with students during this election season. If you're interested in any of these discussions, please reach out to Katrina Callahan at kcallahan@ccforiowa.org. There is an abundance of resources related to electoral engagement in higher education. Please reach out to Katrina Callahan if you would like some of these resources.
University of Iowa, Kirkwood Community College Partner on New Degree Program
A new partnership between KCC and UI will allow students to use programs at both institutions to earn their degree in medical laboratory science. The four-year degree program will launch this fall, according to a news release, and will be available to students starting their education at either college. KCC students will spend two years in the community college's medical laboratory technology program before transferring to the UI for the remainder of the program. No matter where they started, all students in the program will participate in clinical rotations in different lab departments at the UI or other affiliated hospital labs, according to the UI's medical laboratory science program website. Kizer Friedly, program director for both the medical laboratory science and medical laboratory technician programs, expressed excitement for the partnership in the news release, saying it will help fill gaps in vital parts of the health care industry. Once they've graduated out of the program, students will have the skills to work in various lab departments, according to the release, including immunology, clinical chemistry and clinical microbiology, among other areas. Bradley Ford, medical director of clinical microbiology at UI Carver College of Medicine, said in the release that lab testing has become more complicated and critical than ever, with areas of health care like blood banking and cancer therapies relying on accuracy and quality in results. To learn more, click here.
Northeast Iowa Community College Launches New Digital Media and Journalism Degrees
NICC is adding two new Associate of Arts transfer degrees in Digital Media and Journalism. The new programs are partnered with several four-year universities in the state of Iowa, allowing an easy transfer of credits into a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. Journalism graduates at NICC can transfer to Drake University, Grand View University and the University of Northern Iowa. Graduates in Digital Media may transfer the UNI program. NICC students in the new programs can complete specialized digital media and mass communication classes, as well as their general education requirements such as math, science, communications, humanities, and social sciences. Students are able to complete up to 16 transferable credit hours of elective courses, such as Introduction to Mass Media, Diversity and the Media, Newswriting and Reporting, and The College Experience. The programs can be completed on campus or virtually depending on the students schedule. For more information, click here.