As at many two-year colleges around the country, the pass rate among Montgomery County Community College students who take remedial-math classes, which cover material students are typically expected to master in high school, is much lower than school officials would like. Of the roughly 1,350 new students at Montgomery County who took a…

As research equipment becomes more sophisticated and expensive, and as the number of scientists and engineers choosing academic careers shrinks, the start-up costs for recruiting researchers are skyrocketing. The cost typically includes money to provide equipment, facilities, and support needed to set up laboratories and begin research. (MLW)

The issue of giving proper attribution in speeches--a problem that cost Joseph Biden his presidential candidacy--flared up in academe this year. Richard J. Sauer withdrew his candidacy for the presidency of North Dakota State University amid allegations that he plagiarized part of a speech he had delivered. (MLW)

The American Association of University Professors has voted to add four institutions to its list of 47 censured colleges and universities, remove the University of Maryland from the list when its Board of Regents adopts procedures to safeguard academic freedom and tenure, and re-examine Northwestern University's case. (MSE)

An annual survey of college faculty pay shows faculty in "hard-to-hire" disciplines such as engineering, accounting, physics, and computer science continue to command higher-than-average salaries, while disciplines recently at the bottom of the pay scale remain there. At all ranks except full professor, private college faculty earned more. (MSE)

Despite expectations of a mass retirement of faculty and the movement of scholars into business, the academic job market has changed little from previous years. The potential for a decline in student enrollment or an increased reliance on part-time faculty could continue to put pressure on the job market. (MLW)

Participants at a conference sponsored by Cornell University's Institute for Women and Work examined the impact of sexual harassment in academe and discussed ways to address it on campus. Speakers focused on specific policies and procedures for addressing harassment complaints. (MLW)

The University of California at Los Angeles has established an association for professors emeriti, their spouses, and surviving spouses that provides a setting and structure for continued participation in university life, including benefits such as office space, parking, and other campus privileges and a forum for communicating with the…

A University of Pittsburgh law professor developed an elective course that looks at how society's values are both expressed in literature and interpreted in law. Course topics include property ownership, racism, child and family rights, trust laws, the use of persuasive rhetoric, and violence. (MSE)

Increased use of merit pay is attributed to growing competition among institutions to attract and retain faculty, demands for accountability of faculty, and a reflection of a trend in private industry toward providing more financial incentives for employees. (MLW)

New assistant or associate professors command more money than current professors with seniority or higher rank. This faculty-pay dilemma is known as "salary compression." Salary compression occurs when colleges are pressured by the job market to pay competitive salaries to attract scholars at lower ranks. (MLW)

An examination of federal tax forms disclosed that chief executive officers at prestigious private research universities received compensation ranging from $99,999.00 to $275,000. The differences in salary are not a reflection of relative responsibility or quality, but rather a matter of what it takes to recruit people to certain positions. (MLW)

The results of a study released in a book, "Prospects for Faculty in the Arts and Sciences: A Study of Factors Affecting Demand and Supply, 1987 to 2012" written by William G. Bowen and Julie Ann Sosa, are discussed. Institutions need to provide advice and counseling about careers in academe. (MLW)

After a period of decline in interest in governance, there appears to be increased faculty interest in reclaiming the responsibility traditionally held by the faculty senate. However, some faculty feel participation in governance detracts from scholarly pursuits and peer perceptions, and that gratification must accompany involvement. (MSE)

Challenged by rising production costs, competition from computer software, and demands for better teaching, publishers, authors, and higher education officials are examining ways to improve textbooks. Publishers don't want to invest as much, students don't want to pay so much, and many faculty want to get back to good teaching. (MSE)