Campus Predators and Social Media Examined at Stetson University Law and Higher Education Conference

GULFPORT, Fla., Dec. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The fallout of the Penn State scandal, new disability law updates, and the impact of social media predators on college campuses are among the topics of Stetson University College of Law's 33rd National Conference on Law and Higher Education. The conference in Orlando, Feb. 17-21, invites attendees to recommend reforms in higher education.

"The Penn State scandal reminds higher education officials not to be bystanders to danger. The law can make colleges and universities safer and more responsible," said Stetson Law professor Peter Lake, conference chair and director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law & Policy.

This year's conference opens with its first "Boot Camp" on the fundamentals of higher education law and policy. The next day's pre-conference workshop on Title IX features a keynote address by Russlyn Ali, author of the famous April 4, 2011, "Dear Colleague" letter. The main conference keynoter is professor Fred Bonner of Texas A&M University. Dr. Bonner will speak on his highly anticipated book, Diverse Millennial Students in College, and how faculty and student affairs professionals can communicate more effectively with millennial students. The conference wraps up with a workshop on Campus Care and Threat Assessment Teams, led by Virginia Tech's Gene Deisinger.

This year's honorary co-chair, Miriam McKendall, is a member of the International Advisory Board for the Center and a partner at the law firm of Holland & Knight in the firm's education law, labor and employment law, and litigation groups.

Professor Lake will explain how higher education law can make colleges safer, as articulated in his newest book, Foundations of Higher Education Law & Policy: Basic Legal Rules, Concepts, and Principles for Student Affairs. "We should not be focused on deflecting responsibility and merely beating cases in court," Lake said. "We should be focused on making college campuses safer and better learning environments."

To learn more about this year's conference, and to register, click here.

SOURCE Stetson University College of Law