A downturn in attendance at the 1999 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) convention indicates that athletics administrators in Division I are losing interest in the event. Under the organization's new structure, Division I legislation is handled by small committees that meet in the course of the academic year or in closed sessions.…

Colleges and universities are reporting more available tenure-track jobs. However, because of the lack of such jobs during the 1990s, it may not bring much relief to the profession. New Ph.D.'s are competing with the many doctoral recipients who have spent years in temporary teaching and research jobs hoping to obtain a tenure-track position. (MSE)

Sylvan Learning Systems, a company best known for its tutoring and testing operations, plans to create a network of private, for-profit universities in a dozen countries overseas, at the rate of about one institution a year. The director of the U.S. Information Agency will leave his post to head the venture. The plan has received mixed reactions.…

Annual Higher Education Research Institute college freshman survey (n=275,811) at 469 institutions found more eschew political extremes, preferring to call themselves "middle of the road." About half believe abortion should be legal, a decline of 14% since 1990. Freshman did not seem as interested in coursework as they did in previous years, but…

Data from an annual Higher Education Research Institute survey of college freshmen (n=275,811) at 469 institutions are summarized, including student demographic and educational characteristics, educational and career plans, majors, principal social and extracurricular activities, political and social attitudes, and personal objectives. (MSE)

Some college administrators feel the next major trend in educational technology will be wireless networks that let students and professors connect to the Internet with radio waves rather than cumbersome cables. Several universities are already using the less expensive technology. However, some find the slower speed of available wireless services…

Two foreign medical schools plan to open branch campuses in the United States. Opponents, including the American Medical Association and a physician group, argue that allowing unaccredited medical schools to operate here could jeopardize health care. The two institutions are distinctly different: a for-profit school in the West Indies, and a…

Selective colleges and universities are trying to lure top students by offering more aid to low- and middle-income families. This "need-conscious" policy has been practiced at some institutions for years. The policy is affecting some schools' enrollment patterns. Parents appear to be learning that negotiation is a key factor in obtaining the…

About 150 colleges and universities have created benefit programs for employees' domestic partners, but few eligible employees have enrolled, either because the partners have benefits elsewhere or prefer not to use the program. However, the impacts on enrollees' lives can be substantial. Most institutions require domestic partners to complete…

New computer software for physics, mathematics, computer science, and statistics courses at North Carolina State University and in some high schools allows students to solve problems on the computer, recording every answer submitted to provide faculty with a record of student performance, and providing immediate feedback to students. Computerized…

In an effort to combat juvenile speech patterns of "mallspeak" and engage students in intelligent conversation, classes in oral communication are appearing among the general education requirements at colleges, and speaking-intensive classes are emerging in all disciplines. Communications faculty feel the skills should be taught within their…

Many historically black colleges and universities have developed several projects to improve technology on campus and promote its use. Some see it as a key to institutional survival. Projects emphasize training students and faculty in computer use, making joint purchases, sharing on-line instructional experiences, and seeking grants to install…

Education Department officials closely followed the wishes of Congress when issuing new rules for a highly regarded Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education grant competition. Last year, after Congress directed agency officials to give grants in 18 specified "subject areas," and also suggested recipients, it was criticized for…

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has convened a working group to address problems in recruiting, gambling, academic standards, and other corrupt practices in college basketball programs. Such problems are neither new nor unique to basketball, and changing college sports has proven to be difficult. Recommendations are anticipated…

Many Asian-American studies programs have emerged on college campuses recently, due largely to high Asian-American enrollment and student pressure. The field originated in the 1960s, and has broadened to incorporate many ethnic groups. Courses may be either broad-based, comparing ethnic or immigrant groups, or narrowly focused on specific themes.…