The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) announced the election of Christopher W. O’Brien, PhD, LAT, ATC, FASAHP, FNAP, to the Board of Directors and the re-election of Andrew Butler, PhD, PT, FAPTA, FASAHP, as Treasurer. Both will begin their terms on October 29, 2026, following ASAHP’s Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
Registration Open: Training Teams, Not Silos IPEC Webinar
Registration is now open for IPEC’s upcoming webinar, Training Teams, Not Silos: Interprofessional Education Through Simulation, taking place Wednesday, October 28, 2026, from 1:00–2:00 PM ET.
This webinar will explore how simulation can bring interprofessional learning to life and prepare learners to collaborate, communicate, and practice effectively as a team. Presenters Leah Burt, Bob Kiser, Joseph Buhain, and Tina Mullins will share their expertise and perspectives on using simulation to advance interprofessional education.
Join IPEC for this one-hour virtual learning opportunity and discover strategies for strengthening team-based education through simulation.
Learn more and register here:
https://www.ipecollaborative.org/webinars
House Passes Government Funding Bill through December 11
The House returned to Washington this week following a five-week recess and on Tuesday afternoon passed the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government at current FY 26 levels from October 1 through December 11. The bill was brought to the floor under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds vote to pass. The vote was 370 to 48, with 29 Democrats and 19 Republicans voting in opposition. The Senate had passed the CR in a 90 to 6 vote on August 8 before it went on recess, and President Trump on Wednesday signed the funding stopgap, ensuring there will not be a government shutdown before the midterm elections.
The CR includes a provision that pauses, through December 11, implementation of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed rule allowing political appointees to participate at all levels of the federal grantmaking process. House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said any final FY 27 funding “agreement must prevent the proposed White House budget rule which would give control over virtually all federal spending to political appointees in the Trump administration from ever taking effect. There is bipartisan support for preventing this policy from coming to fruition, and I am confident we will be able to find a solution.”
Call for Abstracts: 2026 IPEC Virtual Poster Fair
Call for Abstracts: 2026 IPEC Virtual Poster Fair
Abstract submissions are open for the 2026 IPEC Virtual Poster Fair, Building Better Together: Innovations in Interprofessional Education and Practice, taking place Thursday, November 12, 2026.
This free virtual event brings together educators, practitioners, learners, and teams to share research, promising practices, and innovative approaches to interprofessional education and collaborative practice. IPEC invites members of the interprofessional community to submit their work and contribute to this year’s Poster Fair.
Abstract submissions are due September 11, 2026.
Learn more and submit your abstract here:
https://www.ipecollaborative.org/2026-poster-fair
Help Support ASAHP’s New Graduate Supervisor Survey
The ASAHP Clinical Education Committee is conducting a national survey to better understand supervisors’ perceptions of recent health professions graduates from ASAHP member institutions.
The survey asks supervisors to evaluate graduates’ skills, knowledge, and professional attitudes. Results will help support ASAHP’s strategic planning and guide future initiatives that benefit member institutions. Findings may also be shared with the broader health professions community.
ASAHP member institutions are encouraged to share the survey with programs and employers who supervise their recent graduates.
Take the survey: New Graduate Supervisor Survey
Participation is voluntary and anonymous. No identifiable information will be collected, and responses cannot be linked back to participants.
For questions about the survey, please contact Dr. Amber Boyd at amber.boyd@uc.edu.
Department of Education Issues Proposed Rule on Accreditation
Today the Department of Education issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM). The proposed rule overhauls the accreditation system by making it easier for new accreditors to gain federal recognition and easier for institutions to change accreditors, streamlining transfer of credit policies, and adding requirements around academic freedom and intellectual diversity. Public comments may be submitted no later than September 21, 2026. If the Department of Education issues the final rule by November 1 of this year it should be in effect July 1 of 2027. Negotiated rulemaking sessions were held in April and May, and the AIM negotiated rulemaking committee reached consensus on the package of proposed changes to the accreditation system.
A press release from the Department of Education may be accessed here. The NPRM may be accessed here and also here. Coverage from Inside Higher Ed is available here.
Meet the New Deans: Bernard Rousseau, Ph.D., MMHC, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, Marilyn and Morgan Davies Dean of Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Texas Christian University
Meet Bernard Rousseau, Ph.D., MMHC, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, Marilyn and Morgan Davies Dean of Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Texas Christian University. In this month’s Meet the New Deans, Dean Rousseau shares his path to academic leadership, his vision for interprofessional collaboration, and the priorities shaping his work at TCU.
Department of Education Issues Call to Action on Higher Education Reform to University Presidents and Governing Boards
Yesterday, the Department of Education issued a national call to action to university presidents and governing boards. In a three-page letter from Sec. McMahon, the Secretary asked institutional leaders to address seven central questions, detailing adopted and planned reforms. The Administration is asking that such statements of principle should be posted prominently on institutional websites before the end of 2026.
The press release from the Department of Education may be accessed here and the letter from Sec. McMahon may be accessed here. Coverage from Inside Higher Ed is available here.
ASAHP Honors Gannon University With Award for Innovation and Excellence in Clinical Education
Gannon University has received the 2026 ASAHP Award for Innovation and Excellence in Clinical Education for a project that gives athletic training students hands-on experience working with individuals with disabilities through an adapted-fitness partnership. The university will be recognized at the 2026 ASAHP Annual Conference in Nashville.
Meet the New Deans: Mark Merrick, PhD, ATC, FNATA, FNAP, FASAHP, Dean, School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Meet the New Deans is a new monthly feature introducing recently appointed Deans to the broader ASAHP community. Through a series of questions, we explore their professional journeys, leadership philosophies, and priorities for the future. Read on to get to know this month's featured Dean.
Mark Merrick, PhD, ATC, FNATA, FNAP, FASAHP
Dean, School of Health Professions
University of Alabama at Birmingham
A Conversation with Driscoll DeVaul, DHA, RRT, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, School of Health Related Professions, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Dr. Driscoll DeVaul, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s School of Health Related Professions, shares how interprofessional education, faculty development, and relationship-building can better prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals. He also discusses UMMC initiatives focused on error prevention, peer support, resilience, and equipping students with the adaptability, communication skills, and emotional intelligence needed in modern healthcare.
PSLF Coalition Provides Insight on Federal Student Loan Repayment Plans
The Public Service Loan Forgiviness (PSLF) Coalition, of which ASAHP is a member, is spreading awareness that payments under the Tiered Standard Repayment Plan, one of two new federal repayment plans, will not qualify for PSLF while Repayment Assistance Plan payments can count towards PSLF.
Senate HELP Committee Advances Title VII Reauthorization Bill
Today, the Senate HELP Committee advanced several bills, including the EMPOWER for Health Act, which would reauthorize the Title VII health workforce programs administered by HRSA for the years 2026 through 2030. The Committee also advanced the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025.
More details, including bill text and video of the markup, are available here.
Senate HELP Committee to Mark Up Title VII Reauthorization Bill
On Wednesday, July 22, at 10am Eastern, the Senate HELP Committee will hold a mark up of numerous bills, including the EMPOWER for Health Act, which would reauthorize the Title VII health workforce programs administered by HRSA for the years 2026 through 2030. The Committee markup will also consider the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025.
More details, including live streaming of the markup, are available here.
House Education & Workforce Committee Advances Ten Bills to Codify Interagency Transfers of Department of Education Programs
On Wednesday, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a markup of ten bills intending to codify interagency transfers of Department of Education programs and responsibilities. The ten bills introduced last week reflect President Trump’s plan to return education to the states and efforts by committee Republicans to restructure the federal role in education by dismantling the Department of Education and transferring its responsibilities to various agencies they consider better fit to handle policy domains such as workforce development, diplomacy and financial management. The ten-bill agenda was approved by the committee largely along party lines.
One of the bills considered, H.R. 9611, would transfer numerous postsecondary education programs to the Department of Labor. Democrats criticized the package, arguing that it would further erode public trust in the federal government while creating additional burdens for students, families, states, and institutions.
Democrats offered several amendments but all were rejected. An amendment from Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) reads, “nothing in this Act shall take effect until the date the Secretary of Education repeals the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to ‘‘Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations’’.
The measures face significant obstacles in the Senate.
More details from Committee Republicans are here and here. A press release from Committee Democrats is here.
Department of Education Updates Temporarily Expanded List of Professional Degree Programs
The Department of Education, on Friday, June 10, issued an update to its previously announced temporarily expanded list of professional degree programs.
The Department announced that the six-digit CIP codes for Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (MSN) (51.3801) and Nursing Practice (DNP) (51.3818) will now be interpreted to include all programs within the same four-digit CIP code, provided the institution has assigned the code (or the Secretary determines it is appropriate) and the program awards the same credential.
In addition, the Department clarified that Clinical Psychology (42.2801) now explicitly includes Ph.D. programs, correcting an inadvertent omission from the original list.
The Department’s June 29 announcement included core allied health programming, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology, speech language pathology, and athletic training, among a temporarily expanded list of programs that will qualify as professional degrees while ongoing litigation proceeds, making more students eligible for higher loan limits while the underlying litigation is resolved.
The update may be accessed here.
Judge Strikes Down PSLF Regulation
Today a U.S. district judge vacated the Trump Administration’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) regulation which amended the definition of “qualifying employer” to exclude organizations that engage in unlawful activities such that they have a “substantial illegal purpose”, including supporting terrorism, providing gender affirming care, and aiding and abetting illegal immigration. The judge ruled that Congress did not give the Department the ability to revise definition of a public service job. The rule was set to take effect tomorrow. The ruling is here.
Department of Education Temporarily Expands List of Programs Eligible as "Professional Degrees”, Including Many Allied Health Professions
The Department of Education announced a temporarily expanded list of programs that will qualify as professional degrees while ongoing litigation proceeds, making more students eligible for higher loan limits — including core allied health programming, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology, speech language pathology, and athletic training.
The Department’s action follows litigation challenging a regulation that was scheduled to take effect on July 1. That regulation would have narrowed the definition of a professional degree to just 11 fields, none of which were allied health professions. The federal District Court temporarily blocked the implementation of this regulation while the case is being litigated. In response, the Department has revised its guidance and temporarily expanded the list of qualifying professional degree programs.
The Department’s press release and full list of qualifying programs can be found here. The Associated Press also provided a helpful recap of the current state of play. Coverage from Inside Higher Ed is here.
Although the duration of the Court's stay is uncertain, it will remain in effect until the litigation is resolved or the Court orders otherwise. If the Court ultimately upholds the Department's narrower interpretation of professional degrees, the expanded eligibility could be reversed.
In the meantime, this temporary change is an important step toward ensuring that students in a broader range of health professions have access to the higher federal loan limits available for professional degree programs—up to $200,000 in lifetime eligibility, with a maximum of $50,000 per academic year—rather than the lower limits that apply to other graduate students, which are $100,000 in lifetime eligibility and $20,500 per academic year.
ASAHP AWARDS $53,000 IN 2026 INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION RESEARCH GRANTS
The Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) announced that its Interprofessional Collaboration Research Grants, in the total amount of $53,000, have been awarded to two recipients: Dr. Leslie A. Rippon of Seton Hall University for her work in better preparing future healthcare professionals to address the social factors that shape health outcomes and Dr. Andy N. Garman, of Rush University, for his work in equipping future health professionals to address environmental health challenges and promote sustainable healthcare practices.
Department of Education Issues Final Accountability Rule
Today the Department of Education issued its final Student Tuition and Transparency System (STATS) and Earnings Accountability rule. Under the rule, undergraduate programs will be required to demonstrate that their graduates earn more than the typical high school diploma holder, and graduate programs will be required to demonstrate that their graduates earn more than the typical bachelor’s degree holder.
The final rule is here. A press release from the Department of Education is here. Coverage from Inside Higher Ed is here.