A new national survey, developed by professionals in higher education assessment, seeks to measure the extent to which colleges use "good practices" that encourage learning. Creators of the National Survey of Student Engagement will study undergraduates at 750 colleges over three years to establish benchmarks for different institution types. They…

Describes a new doctoral program in "public intellectualism" at Florida Atlantic University intended for journalists, artists, and activists. Two year-long required courses, "Public Matters," and "Rhetoric and Principle," form the centerpiece of the curriculum. Students then concentrate in one of 13 areas and also participate in a practicum.…

Describes a charter school for middle grade students developed and administered by the University of California, San Diego. Notes the increasing interest nationwide of various institutions of higher education in the development of charter schools. How UCSD has met objections such as the possibility of the charter school siphoning off university…

Reviews "outsourcing" of technology services by institutions of higher education, including the College of Notre Dame (California) and East Tennessee State University, and finds that, although external companies, especially COLLEGIS, offer expertise and savings, they sometimes do not understand the special problems of an academic setting. (DB)

Summarizes conflicting charges of plagiarism and data theft against sociology-department faculty at Texas A&M University over the past four years that have resulted in three dismissed lawsuits and investigations by the university, American Sociological Association, and the National Science Foundation. The accused have neither been found guilty nor…

Describes how Harvard University exceeded its goals in its recently completed five-year fund-raising campaign. Notes emphasis on appeals based on societal problems and teamwork by the institution's various colleges. Includes a table comparing 21 recent or ongoing billion-dollar capital campaigns. (DB)

Describes a new undergraduate minor at Emory University (Georgia) that focuses on the causes and consequences of violence through interdisciplinary courses, campus programs, and community service. Undergraduates study the causes and consequences of violence from the viewpoints of more than a dozen disciplines. (DB)

Describes how universities in Singapore, although long based on British organizational patterns, are forging partnerships with U.S. institutions, copying curricula, and even trying to duplicate an American college town. Examples are offered of partnerships by the National University (with Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and the new…

Scientists doing research on primates are increasingly being subjected to threats and acts of violence from animal rights groups. The intimidation has resulted in many laboratories taking extensive security measures. Some scientists claim, however, that there is no surrogate for animal research in understanding human diseases. There are fears that…

A new federal regulation requires that both students and institutions repay the portion of student aid not used for education. Students must repay the "unearned" portion, less a 50% discount; colleges must return the portion of student aid that does not cover the period in which they were enrolled. Critics include community colleges, proprietary…

The three-year-old Council for Higher Education Accreditation, created by college presidents, is addressing such challenges as persuading accrediting agencies to work together, fending off federal efforts to place more controls on accreditors, working to resolve conflicts between universities and accrediting agencies, and considering the…

Urges professors to organize online courses in ways that prevent cheating and suggests such tactics as asking students for their sources of information, using a camera atop students' computers to send images, having exams monitored by a proctor, using the Internet to identify possible plagiarism, and getting to know individual students. (DB)

Discusses the trend to build and/or expand dormitory facilities at community colleges as part of their effort to recruit students, especially international students, athletes, and nonlocal students. Critics suggest that the colleges will lose money on new dormitories. Student reaction has been positive. (DB)

Discusses financial pressures on university athletics departments using the University of Wisconsin (Madison) as an example. A recent state audit noted the UW athletic department's sizable debt, and an internal five-year plan predicts a substantial budgetary increase due to such factors as construction projects. More aggressive fund raising and…

As government support for universities in Canada has declined, the role of corporations has expanded, resulting in increased dependence on private funds. Many professors, as well as a new book by Neil Tudiver, decry the increasing pressures to mold academic efforts toward commercial interests. However, a recent government report urges adding…