Examines the recent academic publishing trend of producing series of books on "hot" topics. Cites critics who claim that the proliferation of such series has politicized series, that some series continue despite outliving their usefulness, and that a good series requires a great deal of labor by scholarly editors. (DB)

Discusses issues addressed by a Congessionally mandated panel to identify and evaluate options for infusing market forces into the student loan program. Notes possible advantages. Conflicting views of the panel's student representatives, college administrators, and lenders are reported concerning reductions of lenders' profits, removal of…

Describes the Posse Foundation program which sends "posses" of 10 carefully chosen graduates from inner-city high schools, en masse, to selective private colleges seeking a more diversified student population. Reports that in the past 10 years, almost 90 percent of Posse students have graduated within five years. Also identifies problems, such as…

Discusses obstacles to determining appropriate recognition and rewards for college faculty engaged in online research and teaching. Suggests that scepticism about the quality and effectiveness of digital research and instruction discourages young faculty members from using online media. Reports on a forum at Indiana University which addressed…

Discusses factors possibly contributing to the non-enrollment of all seven black students admitted to the California Institute of Technology including few black faculty, the rigorous curriculum, lack of aggressive recruiting of minorities, and emphasis on test scores. Compares CalTech with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's which enrolled…

Reports on a project of the University of California at Santa Cruz in which veteran teacher-advisers meet weekly with beginning teachers to observe and coach them. Notes sources of financial support for the program, the 90 percent retention rate for program participants, and training and renumeration provided to the 40 full-time teacher-mentors…

Reports that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is increasing its solicitation of university-based research on space missions, biotechnology, and information technology. Notes NASA's existing ties to institutions and the perception of a "closed community" of institutions with which NASA deals. Identifies the top 10 university…

Reports that American colleges and universities raised an estimated $20.4 billion in private gifts in the 1998-99 academic year, an increase of 10.9 percent over the previous year. Provides data on total gifts by type of institution and lists the top 20 institutions in total giving, in alumni giving, in giving from non-alumni individuals, and in…

Reports on the initial steps and leadership of a new for-profit Web site, Fathom, established by Columbia University and five other institutions, that will market distance-education courses and academic texts. Discusses challenges in integrating the entrepreneurial spirit of the Internet with the university's core values. Reviews the career of the…

Examines the global trend towards increased tuition and fees in public institutions of higher education. Despite histories of free or very low tuition and student protests, most observers see higher tuition and fees (and financial aid programs for needy students) as invitable. Notes increased demand, enrollment surges, and collapsing systems of…

Nannerl Keohane became president of Duke University in 1993, one of the first women to lead a top research university. This article details some of the changes that have taken place during her tenure as president. (JM)

In the fall of 2000, half the freshman class arrived at college with their own computers, proficient at using Windows, word-processing software, the Internet and electronic mail. The author offers a look at the computing lifestyles of freshmen on five college campuses. (JM)

The notion that male students are gradually disappearing from college is questioned in a report from the American Council on Education. Rather than a generalized education crisis among men, the study found problems among two subgroups: low-income students of all races, and African-American students. (JM)

Expatriates from India now living in the U.S. seek to establish a business school in their homeland that will hold its own in the global marketplace. (JM)

Examines reactions of faculty, administrators, and state policymakers after three years of experience with a contract (rather than tenure) system at Florida Gulf Coast University. Reports that a faculty panel issued a report calling for automatic contract extensions for professors performing well and the possibility of legislative intervention…