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The purpose of these hearings was to explore the problems that unaccredited, substandard colleges and universities, often referred to as diploma mills, pose to the Federal Government and to private-sector employers. The schools examined during these hearings practice a sophisticated form of deception and they charge students accordingly. All of the schools we investigated gave credit for prior work or life experience, even for advanced degrees, which is very rare among accredited institutions. One institution's list of life experiences that could qualify for academic credit included horseback riding, playing golf, pressing flowers, serving on a jury, and planning a trip. The schools examined also required their students to do some modicum of work, either tests or papers or both, and they at least give the impression that the school includes professors with suitable academic credentials who actually play a role in the school's academic programs. The danger of these more sophisticated diploma mills is that they can attract a far broader range of students. The schools investigated take pains to try to convince prospective students that they are legitimate and that students have to earn their degrees. That is why a healthy dose of credit for work and life experience becomes such a critical component of their business model. That is what permits these more sophisticated diploma mills to assume an air of legitimacy while minimizing the actual amount of work required. During the two days of these hearings, the focus was on the challenges posed by diploma mills to the Federal Government. Opening statements at the hearings were provided by: Senators Collins; Akaka; Lautenberg; Carper; Durbin; Lieberman; and Pryor. Witnesses provided testimonies and prepared statements on both days of the hearings. An appendix presents: (1) memorandum dated April 15, 2004; and (2) questions and responses for the record from various participants. (Contains 31 exhibits.)

The Subcommittee conducted an oversight hearing on Section 529 College Savings Plans, State-sponsored investments that are designed to encourage families to save money for their children's college education. Section 529 refers to the Internal Revenue Code section that authorizes and confers special tax treatment on these entities. Section 529 College Savings Plans are instrumentalities of the various State Governments. The States usually organize the plans as trusts which, in turn, typically invest the plan assets in mutual funds managed by third party asset managers. This oversight hearing built on two previous hearings in which this Subcommittee examined mutual fund management and governance, mutual fund fees, and the adequacy of fee disclosures. Testimony was presented by: Senator Peter G. Fitzgerald (R-IL); Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ); Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR); Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii); Steven T. Miller, Commissioner, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division, Internal Revenue Service; Mary L. Schapiro, Vice Chairman and President, Regulatory Policy and Oversight, NASD; Ernesto A. Lanza, Senior Associate General Counsel, Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board; Michael A. Ablowich, Treasurer, State of New Hampshire, on behalf of the National Association of State Treasurers; Jacqueline T. Williams, Executive Director, College Advantage Savings Plan, Ohio Tuition Trust Authority, on behalf of the College Savings Plan Network; Martin M. Noven, Deputy Chief of Staff, on behalf of Judy Baar Topinka, State Treasurer, State of Illinois; Richard O. Davis, Deputy Executive Director for Finance and Administration, Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority; Daniel McNeela, CFA, Senior Analyst, Morningstar, Inc.; and Mercer E. Bullard, President and Founder, Fund Democracy, Inc. Appendices includes a chart entitled "Value of a $10,000 investment after 10 years"; a chart entitled "Value of a $10,000 investment after 18 years"; a chart entitled "Growth in Section 529 Plans 1996-2004"; The "529 Plan Information" chart from the Morningstar website; Barbara Hafer, Treasurer, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, prepared statement with an attachment; Tim Berry, Indiana State Treasurer and NAST President, National Association of State Treasurers; and Questions and Responses to Senator Lautenberg from Mr. Miller, Mr. Lanza, Ms. Schapiro, Mr. McNeela, and Mr. Bullard.

This document records the oral and written testimony of witnesses who testified at a hearing on a proposed amendment to the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1993. The amendment would spell out how the federal work force is to be reduced in size and would provide cash incentives for early retirement as well as make retraining of existing workers more feasible. Witnesses included Senators Glenn, Roth, Stevens, Sasser, Pryor, and Akaka, as well as several officials of the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Defense. The witnesses generally supported the idea of the amendment but pointed out the need to ensure that new workers were not hired to replace each one who left and that top-level officials as well as lower supervisors and workers were chosen for early retirement or voluntary layoff. The text of the amendment is included in the document. (KC)

This document presents a field hearing of the Governmental Affairs Committee to examine the current reform efforts in science and mathematics education at the federal and state levels, focusing specifically on the experiences of Ohio. Nine witnesses representing various educational levels presented testimony concerning mathematics and science education initiatives in Ohio. Initiatives and issues discussed included: (1) the Ohio Proficiency Test; (2) Project Discovery, a project focusing on preparing middle school students to think critically and solve problems; (3) the National Center for Science Teaching and Learning; (4) curriculum reform; (5) societal factors influencing reform; (6) collaboration among the higher education, public education, and business sectors; (7) the B-WISER Institute, a summer camp and follow-up program that empowers young women to achieve in science; and (8) the under-representation of minorities and women in mathematics and science. Appendices contain copies of prepared statements by the witnesses and other participants. (MDH)

Nineteen papers and a keynote address which were prepared for presentation at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota are presented. Numerous intergovernmental issues associated with the current economic crisis in rural America are analyzed and a series of innovative policy responses are identified for consideration by Federal, State and local governments. These papers expand on the complement reports prepared by the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations given at other hearings, and are grouped under eight broad topics: infrastructure needs in rural America--Federal, State and local responses; rural America beyond the farm--the problems of undiversified economies; economic development strategies for rual America--local responses; deregulation and rural communities--what the future holds; alternative service delivery--how it can help rural communities; foreign trade, the balance of payments, and rural economics--where the dollars have gone; economic development strategies for rural America--State and Federal responses; and, health care--the problem of access in rural America. Graphs, charts, maps, and statistical data are included in some of the papers. (JMM)

This publication is a comprehensive record of testimony and exhibits presented to the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the U.S. Senate during hearings on five proposed bills to establish a Department of Education. The hearings were conducted on October 12 and 13, 1977 to consider the following bills: S.991, S.255, S.300, S.894, and S.1685. Testimony and exhibits are presented chronologically and indexed alphabetically by witnesses' names. The complete text of each bill is also included. (JG)