The Coordinating Commission's academic programs officer, Kathleen Fimple, recently attended a national conference of higher-education leaders and took part in a panel discussion regarding new federal regulations on distance education. Fimple was one of three panelists for a breakout session titled "The New Federal Rules on Program Integrity: Shining the Spotlight on Distance Education," held Aug. 10 at the State Higher Education Executive Officers annual policy conference in San Francisco.

The Coordinating Commission recently released Sections A and C of its 2010-11 Factual Look at Higher Education in Nebraska. Both sections analyze 10-year trends in data for Nebraska's public and private colleges and universities, with Section A focusing on enrollment and Section C focusing on faculty.

In May 2011, Gov. Dave Heineman signed into law LB 637, part of which calls on the Coordinating Commission to conduct a study on the need for uniform policies and practices regarding dual-enrollment courses and career academies in Nebraska. 

The legislation directs the Coordinating Commission to collaborate with numerous stakeholders in completing this study. To help foster this collaboration, the Coordinating Commission has formed a 15-member Advisory Committee consisting of representatives from each of the stakeholder groups.

The Coordinating Commission will meet this Thursday, July 21, at St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m., in the seminary's lecture hall. It's a full agenda for the commission. Items for consideration will include:

The Coordinating Commission has released section B of its 2010-11 Factual Look at Higher Education in Nebraska. This section - the first of three to be released in the coming months - includes updated information on postsecondary degree production in Nebraska.

The Coordinating Commission this week launched a new scholarship program available to students now attending college who received an Access College Early (ACE) scholarship while taking dual-enrollment courses in high school. The newly created ACE Plus Scholarship is awarded to full-time college students who received an ACE Scholarship in high school.

The Coordinating Commission will meet this Thursday, May 19, at Nebraska Methodist College in Omaha. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. Agenda highlights include:

• A presentation from Metropolitan Community College on its Master Plan of Campuses;
• Commission consideration of the Eppley Cancer Institute renovation project at the University of Nebraska Medical Center; and
• Consideration of ITT Technical Institute's proposal to offer four additional bachelor's degrees at its Omaha campus.

The Coordinating Commission this week issued a Request for Proposals for the 2011 College Access Challenge Grant (CACG) program.

The Commission will award $73,800, to be distributed among all recipients, for this year's program. School districts and other non-profit groups across the state utilize these federal funds to make college more accessible for low-income and other underrepresented student populations.

Authorized by the Nebraska Legislature in 2007, the Access College Early (ACE) Scholarship Program pays tuition and mandatory fees for qualified, low-income high school students to enroll in college courses from eligible Nebraska colleges or universities, either through dual-enrollment or early enrollment agreements with these institutions.

Update: Gov. Dave Heineman signed this bill into law on May 4, 2011.

A bill introduced in the state Legislature directs the Coordinating Commission to conduct a study on dual-enrollment courses and career academies in Nebraska. LB 58 - which is now included in an amendment to LB 637 - calls on the Commission to collaborate with the State of Department of Education, public and private colleges and universities, school districts, and private secondary schools to complete the study, which would be due to the Legislature on or before Dec. 15, 2011.