SLO 1 — Foundations of Higher Education Law
Identify and explain the principal sources of higher education law — including constitutional provisions, federal and state statutes, administrative regulations, and institutional contracts — and describe how each operates within the governance structure of public and private colleges and universities.
SLO 2 — Legal Reasoning and Case Analysis
Apply standard legal reasoning frameworks (including IRAC: Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion) to analyze higher education law cases and scenarios, distinguishing between the legal standards applicable to public versus private institutions and between student, faculty, and institutional claims.
SLO 3 — Employment and Faculty Law
Analyze the legal framework governing faculty and staff employment in higher education, including employment discrimination law (Title VII, Title IX, ADA, ADEA), tenure and academic freedom protections, collective bargaining, and procedural due process requirements for personnel decisions.
SLO 4 — Student Rights and Institutional Obligations
Evaluate institutional obligations and student legal rights across key domains — including admissions, financial aid, academic due process, student records (FERPA), campus security, disability accommodations (ADA/Section 504), and student discipline — and assess institutional compliance with applicable legal standards.
SLO 5 — Free Expression and Civil Liberties on Campus
Analyze the First Amendment framework governing free speech, academic freedom, student expression, and campus protest at public institutions, and evaluate the limits of institutional authority to regulate speech, including hate speech codes, social media, and student organization recognition.
SLO 6 — Title IX, Sexual Misconduct, and Civil Rights Compliance
Apply Title IX and related civil rights statutes to institutional obligations concerning sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, gender equity in athletics, and nondiscrimination in admissions and employment, incorporating recent regulatory and judicial developments including post-2022 Title IX rulemaking.
SLO 7 — Institutional Liability and Risk Management
Identify areas of institutional tort liability, Section 1983 claims, and contractual liability; apply the principles of preventive law and enterprise risk management to design proactive institutional responses that reduce legal exposure while advancing institutional mission.
SLO 8 — Regulatory Compliance and Governmental Relations
Assess the legal and regulatory relationships between higher education institutions and federal, state, and local government — including Title IV compliance, accreditation law, state authorization, and local regulation — and develop institutional compliance strategies responsive to overlapping jurisdictional demands.
SLO 9 — Law-Policy Interface in Administrative Practice
Synthesize legal doctrine and public policy analysis to formulate and evaluate institutional policies, communicating legal risks and compliance obligations to non-attorney administrators, governing boards, and other stakeholders in a professional register appropriate to higher education leadership.
SLO 10 — Professional and Ethical Judgment
Demonstrate the capacity for sound professional and ethical judgment in navigating higher education law and policy dilemmas, recognizing the limits of non-attorney administrative authority, knowing when to engage legal counsel, and upholding equity and institutional integrity in all administrative decisions.