Quick Takes: N.Y. Passes Lender-College Law, New Orleans Colleges Report Good Admissions Season, Rules Proposed for Military Recruiting on Campuses, Leadership Changes at Ohio U., $100M for U. of the Pacific, Pledge on Environmental Research

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New York's Legislature passed the country's first state law restricting the relationships between student loan companies and college officials. The law, which was supported by legislative leaders and New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo and awaits the signature of Gov. Eliot Spitzer, would put into law the elements of the code of conduct that Cuomo has been persuading colleges and lenders to sign to govern their own interactions. Among other things, it would bar payments and gifts from lenders to college financial aid officials in exchange for any advantage or consideration in the awarding of the institutions' loan business, restrict college officials from receiving any compensation or benefit for serving on lender advisory boards. The passage of the New York law won praise from Congressional leaders as well as Cuomo.
Several New Orleans colleges are reporting huge increases in the number of accepted applicants who have sent in deposits to reserve places in this fall's freshman class. The increases follow substantial enrollment drops a year ago, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Tulane University announced that more than 1,375 high school seniors have sent in deposits, which would lead to this fall's class being 56 percent larger than last year. Xavier, Loyola and Dillard Universities are also reporting increases, The Times-Picayune reported, although Dillard's enrollment numbers tend to firm up over the summer and are less clear at this point in the year.
The Department of Defense on Monday published proposed federal regulations governing exactly how colleges and universities must provide access to military recruiters, in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision last year that upheld the federal law requiring such access. The proposed guidelines, which carry out a 2004 law, mandate that colleges must give military recruiters "the same access to campus and students provided by the school to the nonmilitary recruiter receiving the most favorable access," which is how the Pentagon interpreted the court's finding that colleges give military recruiters access "equal in quality and scope" to that of other recruiters. The proposed regulations also say that campus officials can give military recruiters directory information about their students without violating federal privacy laws, and that colleges can withhold information about students who "opt out" of providing their information, but only if the students opt out of providing such information to all recruiters. Members of the public have until July 6 to comment on the proposed rules, which carry out provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2005.
Roderick J. McDavis, president of Ohio University, on Monday announced plans to turn over more day-to-day leadership of the university to Kathy Krendl, the provost, who will be receiving a new title: executive vice president and provost. McDavis has been criticized by faculty leaders in recent weeks over a series of controversies and tight budgets. In an address to the campus Monday, McDavis said that the university was moving to fix problems -- and that the reorganization would allow him to spend more time securing funds for the institution.
The University of the Pacific on Monday announced a pledge of $100 million from Robert and Jeannette Powell, who in the months ahead will discuss with the university specific projects that the funds will later support.
The presidents of 12 research universities from around the world met over the weekend at Washington University in St. Louis and issued a joint call for more research on global energy and environmental issues.