Higher Ed and IT Policy, 2021: Recovery Now, Regulation Later?

The year began with a turn to a new presidency, new hope of overcoming the pandemic, and a new emphasis on national recovery and revitalization. The latter involved unprecedented, multitrillion-dollar proposals to rebuild infrastructure, expand broadband access, increase higher education affordability, address climate change, and much more. Efforts to advance these measures have consumed Congress and the Biden administration for most of 2021, and they hold significant implications for higher education and IT. However, while the clash of the trillions has been occurring, the seeds of future regulatory action may be taking root as well, also presenting the potential for major impacts on higher education IT. Join the EDUCAUSE senior advisor for policy and government relations as well as your colleagues in discussing what historic federal investments in broadband may mean for college students in unserved and underserved communities, where liability protections for third-party content posted to college and university websites may be heading, what we might see from federal agencies once the Biden administration turns from legislating to regulating, and more.