NEWS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C.: September 20, 2006: The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), the leading higher education association for student affairs administrators, and Stetson University College of Law, home of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy and the National Conference on Law and Higher Education, are pleased to announce a new cooperative agreement under which they will jointly sponsor law and policy programs for higher education professionals. The partnership will enable NASPA and Stetson to offer a wide range of professional development opportunities that address critical issues affecting colleges and universities.

The NASPA/Stetson partnership will feature two co-sponsored, signature programs: The Student Affairs Law and Policy Conference, which will be held December 3-5, 2006 in Las Vegas, and the 28th Annual National Conference on Law and Higher Education, scheduled for February 17-21, 2007 in Clearwater Beach, Florida. In addition, NASPA and Stetson will co-sponsor webinars, e-learning courses, publications, and regionally based workshops on key topics regarding higher education law and policy.

NASPA, the leading voice for student affairs administration, policy, and practice represents 11,000 educators including the majority of deans and vice presidents of student affairs. In addition to its mission of providing continuing professional development for members and colleagues, NASPA takes pride in identifying cutting-edge resources for educators to use in their work with students.

"Our partnership will bring Stetson's nationally renowned legal expertise and resources to NASPA members and other professionals in higher education," says NASPA's Executive Director, Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy. "The possibilities for professional development offerings through this partnership are limitless. We look forward to offering new ideas in the broad areas of legal issues and policy that will provide innovative solutions to perennial and contemporary challenges in colleges and universities. This unprecedented collaboration will help educators gain an understanding of important legal and policy issues so integral to their daily work."

"On today's increasingly complex campuses, it is vital that university administrators appreciate and understand the legal and regulatory issues that impact their work. Our cooperative agreement with NASPA-which is a natural outflow of the pioneering, interdisciplinary work of Professor Robert D. Bickel-will significantly expand our reach to those key administrators," said Darby Dickerson, Vice President and Dean of Stetson University College of Law. "We at Stetson are excited about our relationship with NASPA. I am confident that combining Stetson's intellectual resources and tradition of excellence in higher education law and policy with NASPA's reputation as the premier organization on student development and campus life and strong record of commitment to professional development will lead to ground-breaking programs for the profession."

About NASPA

NASPA, student affairs administrators in higher education, is the leading voice for student affairs administration, policy and practice and affirms the commitment of student affairs to educating the whole student and integrating student life and learning. With more than 11,000 members at 1,400 campuses, and representing 29 countries, NASPA is the largest professional association for student affairs administrators, faculty and graduate students. NASPA members are committed to serving college students by embracing the core values of diversity, learning, integrity, service, fellowship and the spirit of inquiry.

NASPA members serve a variety of functions and roles, including the vice president and dean for student life as well as professionals working within housing and residence life, student unions, student activities, counseling, career development, orientation, enrollment management, racial and ethnic minority support services, and retention and assessment. NASPA serves its members through a wide range of services, including outstanding quarterly publications such as the NASPA Journal and Leadership Exchange, a management magazine, a variety of professional development opportunities for student affairs individuals at all levels within the profession, and a comprehensive, content-rich website that is the most widely accessed website in the student affairs association community.

About Stetson University College of Law

Stetson University College of Law was founded in 1900 and is Florida's first law school. With a main campus in St. Petersburg, Florida and a Law Center near downtown Tampa, the College of Law has a long history of training outstanding lawyers and judges. In addition to its national rankings in the areas of advocacy and legal writing, Stetson has long been a leader in the field of higher education law and policy.

For 27 years, Stetson has been home to the National Conference on Law and Higher Education, which is the leading conference on law and policy for higher education professionals. In 2004, the College of Law created the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy, which is led by Professors Robert D. Bickel and Peter F. Lake. The Center's mission is to advance the field of higher education law and policy by conducting quality research and producing outstanding scholarship in the area of higher education law and policy; presenting interdisciplinary conferences and special programs in areas affecting higher education law and policy; and forging productive relationships with other organizations devoted to the advancement of law and higher education both within the United States and throughout the world.

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