In this era when many Americans seem resigned to greater encroachments on their personal privacy due to the growth and ubiquity of electronic databases with information about almost every aspect of their lives, a recent statement from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) seems timely. The statement highlighted the issue of…

Another topic involving privacy has attracted considerable attention in recent months--the "student unit record" issue. The U.S. Department of Education concluded in March that it would be feasible to help address lawmakers' concerns about accountability in higher education by constructing a database capable of tracking students from institution…

As most state governments were beginning their fiscal years on July 1, it looked like another tight year for state spending in many regions--and, by implication, also for appropriations for higher education institutions and state student assistance programs. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) spring report…

This article reports on the plight of undocumented immigrant students in the United States. Fights have been waged in various state legislatures over the past few years concerning whether undocumented immigrant students should be able to benefit from in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. But a story in The Wall Street Journal…

This article reports on the controversy over the "academic bill of rights" that is being pushed by conservative activist David Horowitz of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture. A committee in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a resolution in July that reflects the concerns of this "bill," which has been batted around in state…

Anyone who has ever complained that colleges and universities are highly bureaucratic entities, almost inherently incapable of moving quickly, should be gratified by what we saw in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. With amazing swiftness, colleges and universities across the country--from large publics to small privates to community and…

This article reports on the entry by the political opinion journal Washington Monthly in ranking U.S. colleges and universities. The journal purported to rank colleges on the contributions of their graduates to the nation. If it stays in the game for the long haul and modifies its rankings--as U.S. News seems to do annually--in a serious attempt…