On June 30, 2015, Governor Rick Snyder signed HB 4052 into law which stops local governments from adopting, administering or enforcing future ordinances or policies that require local businesses to pay wages, fringe benefits or leave time that exceed State or Federal requirements. The bill will take effect on September 28, 2015. Currently, Michigan’s minimum wage is $8.15 per hour which will rise to $8.50 per hour on January 1, […]

Thank you to clients and friends for attending CMDA’s 50th Anniversary Client Appreciation Event on Thursday, June 25 at the VisTaTech Center at Schoolcraft College.  We enjoyed catching up with clients, reminiscing with former employees, and showing our appreciation to each and every client who has put their trust in us over the past 50 years.

MICHIGAN CASE LAW UPDATE Sterrett v. Heather Cowan and several employees of the University of Michigan, sued in their personal and official capacities 85 F. Supp. 3d.916 (February 4, 2015) This case involves a University of Michigan student (now suspended) who sued several officials employed by the University after he was suspended for violating the University’s Sexual Misconduct Policy. The facts reveal that the Plaintiff was a freshman in the […]

Join us as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary Thursday, June 25, 2015 • 4-7 pm VisTaTech Center at Schoolcraft College 18600 Haggerty Road • Livonia, Michigan Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. We look forward to celebrating with you! Kindly submit the registration form below by June 24, 2015. [Form id=”13″]

Check it out!  An article on CMDA’s 50th anniversary is featured in the May 28, 2015 edition of the Livonia Observer.

Under the American legal system, there is no realm of human activity that fails to spawn litigation. The financial cost of a potential judgment is easily recognized. Less understood is the cost of time, energy, and resources (financial and human) of the litigation process itself. Even the defendant who avoids judgment by “winning” his case will still have expended resources that the law generally affords no avenue to recover. The […]

The U.S. Department of Education issued for public comment a college ratings system framework. The proposed system will rely upon broad categories that highlight particular institutional successes and weaknesses employing metrics that might include: percentage of students receiving Pell Grants; average net cost of attendance; and completion rates, among others. The system proposed would group institutions for comparison purposes according to whether they grant two-year or four-year degrees.

The Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter providing guidance on competency-based education programs and addressing the differences between direct assessment and credit hour competency-based education, requirements for establishing credit hour equivalencies, and the role of accrediting agencies, among other issues.

Jim Acho was featured in the May 1, 2015 Chaldean News.  Although Acho did not become the new Executive Director of the NFL Player’s Association (NFLPA), a lot of the ideas he presented during his run resonated with the union’s executive committee and the ideas will be discussed this summer.

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) has issued a draft discussion guide on measuring college outcomes. The guide focuses on a strategic framework designed to enable colleges and universities, policymakers, and the public to discuss and create measurement tools for reporting student outcomes after college.