In response to the controversial college rankings published in national magazines, Stanford University (California) has posted some of the statistics used in the "U.S. News and World Report" on its World Wide Web site. It encourages other institutions to do the same to make the information readily available without the perceived distortion of the…

The Supreme Court will not hear the Brown University (Rhode Island) appeal in "Brown vs. Cohen," letting stand rulings that the university had violated Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments by cutting financial support for women's volleyball and gymnastics teams. Advocates for women's athletics see the court's refusal to intervene as decisive.…

Struggling to manage under reduced public financial support, many of Canada's universities are turning to entrepreneurial projects to provide supplemental income. In addition to conventional means such as real estate development, investment, and marketing, some are shifting ancillary services (conference facilities, residences, food services,…

The reorganization plan for government agencies under the Clinton Administration includes placement of the United States Information Agency (USIA), which oversees most government-sponsored academic exchanges, under the Department of State, where it was before 1978. The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency would also become part of the State…

A Johns Hopkins University (Maryland) engineering professor has developed eight computer programs that simulate laboratory experiments, creating a "virtual laboratory" for his introductory engineering class. Experiments are fully interactive, giving students the opportunity to try eight different problem-solving strategies. Students can run them…

A former Dartmouth College (New Hampshire) admissions officer has written a book about the college admissions process at Ivy League and other selective colleges. She details factors in admissions decision making that contradict stated policies and admissions principles. Admissions professionals at Dartmouth and other colleges criticize the book as…

Increasingly, colleges and universities are building warehouses for little-used library books, which can be delivered to campus on request. Warehousing saves money and provides better climate control for books. Scholars and students today have access to needed information through electronic databases and online catalogues, often from home, thus…

Data on 1995-96 private college faculty and administrator compensation, based on tax returns of 477 colleges, reveals half the presidents received raises outpacing inflation. Fifty received no raise. Overall, the highest paid were medical faculty, although 47 coaches and athletic directors were among the highest paid at their institutions.…

Data are presented for the 1994-95 and 1995-96 salary and 1995-96 fringe benefits of the chief executive and five highest-paid individuals (faculty or administrators) at 477 private colleges and universities. Data are drawn from institutional tax forms. For each institution, total 1995-96 institutional expenditures are also listed. The list of…

A fledgling industry of software developers, academic technologists, and instructors is emerging to help college faculty put courses on line without having to learn World Wide Web page coding. A variety of design services is available. Often, institutions make recommendations for choosing Web-course tools. Software focuses on general course…

Increasingly, college bookstores are departing from the traditional model and becoming high-technology retailing environments, providing books, merchandise, food services, and entertainment in one location. Critics say they lack charm and are attempting to do too much; supporters feel they are better positioned for sales in a competitive market.…

A part-time community college teacher and a state senator have filed a complaint with the Department of Education, arguing that the regional accrediting agency is ignoring its own rules about use of part-time faculty. The proportion of part-time faculty has doubled in two decades, to over 40%. Excerpts of the six regional agencies' standards are…

Georgia's merit-based HOPE scholarships, which cover tuition and fees for over half the undergraduates at the University of Georgia, are credited for bringing better students to the university but also for bringing pressure for grade inflation to the institution. Recipients must maintain a B grade average. The university has become competitive…

The Gourman Report, a guide to colleges and universities self-published since 1967, has largely been ignored by educators because its methodology is unclear and of questionable validity. Now, backed by a major test-preparation company and published by a major publisher, critics are concerned that it will gain legitimacy. The newest edition ranks…

State spending on higher education has risen up to 30% in some states, with much of the new money paying for technology, upgrading community colleges, and providing funds to college shortchanged previously. Only Alaska and Hawaii showed net decreases. Data on 1997-98 dollar appropriations and percentage changes for each state institution and for…