Presents data on 1991-92 and 1992-93 graduation rates for athletes and other students at 607 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and II institutions. Data include percentages graduating in the following categories: total student population; all athletes; white male athletes; black male athletes; white female athletes; and black…

"Ex Corde Ecclesiae," the Pope's document intended to define the relationship between the Catholic church and Catholic higher education institutions, has renewed debate on what makes a Catholic college Catholic. Over 200 colleges and universities in the United States are examining revised norms to be incorporated into the governance documents of…

Colleges and universities are finding that ways to misbehave in computer-mediated communication come along faster than institutions can create policies to deal with them. Although most schools have acceptable-use policies, technological advances change the environment quickly and require flexible policies. Most institutions have created a mix of…

Examines the work of Norma V. Cantu, the head of the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and the controversy surrounding her tenure. Issues discussed include the range of concerns she must address, including affirmative action, gender equity in athletics, and college desegregation in the South, and her strategies for…

Two years into its new life as a private company, the Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae) is both creating a division to handle the processing and clerical duties of college financial aid offices and backing away from a short-lived move into the business of underwriting college bonds. The agency also originates government-subsidized…

Researchers at Educational Testing Service and elsewhere are devising methods that could help admissions officers measure educational disadvantage more systematically. One system identifies "strivers," any student scoring more than 200 points above the average score of peers with similar backgrounds, taking into account 14 variables such as family…

Many midcareer academics are leaving Canadian colleges and universities for academic positions in the United States, where higher pay, budget flexibility, and academic communities are attractive. Canadian university leaders say the loss of such scholars is a brain drain the country can ill afford. In addition, Canadian universities face…

Reports on a decline in computer-science faculty despite rising student enrollments of computer-science majors. The faculty decline is ascribed to increasing jobs competition from industry and a decline in the number of doctorates being awarded in computer science and computer engineering. (DB)

Reports on difficulties that institutions of higher education are having with new integrated student-administration software systems being developed by PeopleSoft. Institutions have been reporting automation projects which are months behind schedule and budget overruns. The company has apologized and some institutions admit they share…

Reports on trends to extend state student financial aid to students attending for-profit colleges. State legislatures are following the lead of Congress in treating proprietary institutions like traditional colleges. Examples from Colorado, Indiana, and Ohio are offered, as are data on the 10 states and territories that provide the largest share…

Reports on a $1 billion dollar grant from Bill and Melinda Gates to send 20,000 low-income minority students to college. The Gates Millenium Scholars Program will require students to demonstrate financial need and maintain a 3.0 grade point average in college. A list of the largest private gifts to higher education since 1967 is also provided. (DB)

Nursing educators in two-year programs are resisting efforts by educators in four-year nursing programs to lobby state legislatures to require all new registered nurses to hold bachelor's degrees. Two-year advocates cite their graduates' superior performance on the profession's standardized entrance exam, whereas four-year advocates cite…

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is hoping to stem member institution defections to the National Collegiate Athletic Association by reorganizing national staff, emphasizing regional competition, and helping members with local marketing efforts. The organization's 340 members are primarily small regional public and private…

Reports on increasing difficulties experienced by Chinese students and scholars in obtaining U.S. visas, possibly due to more rigorous examination of individuals in "critical" technological fields following the recent spy case and to the high numbers of Chinese students who do not return to China. Critics claim the visa process is cumbersome,…

Discusses the special situations of college professors who are the offspring of academics, including forging an independent identity when a parent is eminent in the same field, advantages of the family connection, and nepotism. Most such academic offspring report that the advantages of the family connection outweigh the disadvantages. (DB)