Higher
Education Opportunity Act
Public Meeting
Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr.
September 19, 2008
[watch
opening remarks video]
(continued)
Further regulatory embellishments should be kept
to a minimum.
I have not included on my list of private college
concerns the various provisions on college costs or the new disclosures
for the College Navigator Web site, given that they are not subject
to the negotiated rulemaking process. These provisions include
the development of college cost “watch lists,” the definition of
“net price” and the creation of net price and multi-year tuition
calculators. Let me discuss them briefly, however, because these
new provisions are enormously complex. And all of them carry enormously
high stakes, since they will have a significant impact in shaping
public perceptions of individual institutions.
Throughout its cost section, the legislation directs
the Department of Education to consult with higher education institutions
in developing these new tools. While following this directive
will not entail a formal negotiated rulemaking process, I do believe
the same guiding principles I outlined earlier are appropriate
for the cost provisions, and I urge Department officials to follow
them.
Finally, whether I personally like or don’t like
particular provisions of the new law, I do want to “get it right”
on my campus and adhere to the intent of Congress. I believe that
my colleagues at colleges and universities across the country feel
the same way. We need guidance on what is expected of us – particularly
given that most of the new provisions became effective August 14.
|
|
While the rulemaking process is under way, let
me request that the Department provide a list of actions that
colleges should take now, as well as give us a sense of how we
should approach these new requirements in the absence of regulatory
guidance.
Again, many thanks for allowing me to kick off
this important session. I wish each and every one of you a productive
and collaborative process.
1 | 2 | 3
|