Washington Update: Labor Department Releases Request for Information on Overtime Rule; Acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities Named; and more

DOL Releases RFI on Overtime Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a much-awaited “Request for Information” (RFI) in the Federal Register related to the 2016 rule on “white collar” exemptions to the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime requirements. The RFI comes as the 2016 rule remains under a federal court-imposed injunction. Among other changes, the overtime rule would raise the minimum salary threshold for exempt positions from $23,660 to $47,476. APLU joined a number of higher education associations in submitting comments to the proposed rule in 2015 and engaged the Obama administration at high levels to express concerns with the impact on higher education.

The RFI, which has a 60-day comment period and asks for specific feedback in response to ten questions, begins a DOL process that is likely to result in revisions to the regulation. APLU will be actively engaged throughout the process in partnership with other higher education associations.

University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase Call for Applications
APLU and AAU will host the inaugural “University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase,” highlighting APLU and AAU university affiliated startup businesses on Monday, November 13 and Tuesday, November 14 during the APLU Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. The showcase will promote the importance of federally-funded university research and demonstrate how university-led entrepreneurial engagement contributes to the innovation economy. Applications are due by Thursday, September 7 and must be submitted via this form. Universities can nominate multiple startups. Additional information is included in the attached flyer. Please contact Carina Márquez at cmarquez@aplu.org if you have questions or need additional information.

President Trump Appoints Acting NEH Chairman
On July 28, President Trump appointed Jon Parrish Peede as the Acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Peede joined NEH in April 2017 as the Senior Deputy Chairman of the agency. Previously, he had been appointed to senior leadership roles at the National Endowment for the Arts. Margaret Plympton has been serving as Acting Chair since William (Bro) Adams resigned and will return to her role as Deputy Chair in the wake of the appointment.

NEH Announces New Grants
Last week, the NEH announced $39.3 million in new grant awards for 245 humanities projects, including a number at APLU institutions. This includes a publication project, the Papers of George Washington, which aims to publish volumes of text from Washington’s second term, a historical moment culminating in the rise of political parties. A list of all college and university NEH grant recipients and the full list of grants can be found here.