Rural Healthcare Workforce
The Iowa Rural Healthcare Workforce Strategy Task Force continues to serve as the core stakeholder engagement group of the initiative. Their next steps include upcoming Townhall meetings with one in Le Mars on March 13 from 11-1pm at the Le Mars Public Library (46 1st St. SW, Le Mars, IA 51031) and one in Mason City on March 27 from 11-1pm at North Iowa Area Community College (500 College Drive, Mason City, IA 50401). Healthcare workforce continues to be a hot button issue, so the Iowa Medical Society along with partner organizations are working together to assess and evaluate the current landscape and future of the healthcare workforce in Iowa. Those who should attend the townhalls include physicians, pharmacists, nurses, direct care workers, public health personnel, all healthcare professionals & administrators, community organizations, local business, patients & families, and community members. Register here!
Federal Updates
February 21, a Baltimore federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump's executive orders aimed to end the federal government's involvement and support of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming through a preliminary injunction. In a case where six plaintiffs and five unions sued the Department of Treasury, Education (ED), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), a U.S. federal judge ruled that ED and OPM may not release personally identifying information of the plaintiffs and the members of the five unions to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This ruling comes a week after a different federal judge denied the University of California Student Association's request for a temporary restraining order which would block the DOGE staffers from accessing student data. The Department of Education has provided a seven-month extension for institutions to submit and correct submitted information for gainful employment and financial value transparency regulations to September 30, 2025.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) voted 14 to 9 to advance the nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Secretary of Labor. Please join ACCT's Government Relations Team the first Friday of every month as they unpack updates in the Federal government and how they may impact community colleges, higher education, and workforce development. The next webinar will take place March 14 12:00pm CT. The American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association sued the Department of Education over the Dear Colleague Letter its Office of Civil Rights issued out that interprets the Supreme Court ruling, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard in such a way that all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming and practices in all intuitions of education are unlawful. The House Republicans were able to pass a budget resolution, which is a precursor to budget reconciliation. With the funding deadline of March 14th, neither Committee on Appropriations in either chamber of Congress has a finalized draft of FY 2025 funding legislation.
What Do Education Leaders Need to Know About the Department of Education's New Guidance on Race and Civil Rights?
On February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) declaring that any use of race in decision-making related to school and college practices and policies violates federal civil rights law. TODAY, from 12:30-1:30pm CT, join the Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings for a webinar with education and legal scholars, including experts in education civil rights enforcement, to discuss the legality of the February 14 guidance letter and related actions. Viewers can submit questions for speakers via email to events@brookings.edu. Register here or watch online here! Panelists include Rachel M. Perera (Moderator), Liliana Garces (Ken McIntyre Professor for Excellence in School Leadership at University of Texas at Austin), Robert Kim (Executive Director of the Education Law Center), Kimberly Robinson (White Burkett Miller Professor of Law and Public Affairs at University of Virginia), and Jackie Wernz (Education Civil Rights Expert and former Civil Rights Attorney).
Iowa Workforce Development 2024 Annual Report
The 2024 Iowa Workforce Development Annual Report highlights the agency's initiatives to connect job seekers and employers through IowaWORKS, expand apprenticeship and workforce training programs, assist veterans and individuals with disabilities, provide reemployment services, and support community colleges in delivering critical job training, such as CDL and Registered Apprenticeship programs, to address workforce needs across the state. Read the rest of the report here.
American Council on Education Letter
On February 25th, a letter on behalf of ACE was sent to the US Department of Education in response to the Dear Colleague letter and is signed on behalf of several national organizations including ACCT and AACC. "On behalf of the undersigned higher education associations, I write in response to the Department of Education's (Department) Feb. 14, 2025, Dear Colleague Letter (DCL)... The Department should encourage inclusive and welcoming educational environments for all students, regardless of race or ethnicity or any other factors... The Department's DCL asserts that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and initiatives on campus are broadly discriminatory... The Department correctly states the DCL 'does not have the force and effect of law and does not bind the public or create new legal standards'... [W]e respectfully request that the Department rescind this DCL and work to promulgate guidance that reflects existing law."
Register for 2025 Taking Care of Business Conference
The Iowa Association of Business and Industry's Taking Care of Business Conference is Iowa's premier business event, bringing together industry leaders from across the state to learn, network, and share ideas on how to grow and strengthen Iowa's business climate. If you are passionate about business in Iowa, this is a must-attend conference! Register now to secure your spot!
Chancellor Search Update - Finalists Announcement
The finalists for the position of Chancellor Eastern Iowa Community Colleges: 1) Brian Renfro, PhD. (President of John Wood Community College in Quincy, IL); 2) Naomi DeWinter, EdD (President of Muscatine Community College and EICC Vice Chancellor of Student Development in Muscatine, IA); and 3) Jennifer Berne, PhD (Provost of Oakland Community College in Oakland County, MI). Each of these candidates brings a wealth of experience in community college leadership and a strong commitment to student success, workforce development, and institutional growth.