Foreign scholars at United States research universities increased by 2.3% in 1995-96, after two years of decline. A large majority are doing research; others are teaching. Almost 42% came from Asia, with the largest number from China. The number from Russia rose 84%. Most are in the medical, physical, or life sciences and engineering, and are…

Data on foreign scholars at United States research institutions include information on leading countries and regions of origin, the 12 institutions with the most foreign scholars, gender distribution, leading fields of specialization, and their scholarly activity (research and/or teaching) in the United States. (MSE)

Despite rising enrollments, college biology education has until recently lagged behind other science disciplines in reforming undergraduate instruction. However, new approaches are emerging, including introductory classes that focus more on concepts, laboratory assignments that are increasingly sophisticated, and more in-depth curricula for…

Women's studies programs are growing in former Communist countries of Eastern Europe. Two graduate programs in gender studies now exist in Poland and Hungary. Non-academic centers also provide services to women. Programs that met with strong resistance in the United States in the 1970s are greeted here with only mild reluctance. Programs provide…

The New York University Medical Center faces program cuts and major changes in research, teaching and patient care due to declining patient profits and federal grants. Patients are spending less time in hospitals, reducing teaching potential. However, reduced services also cause more student involvement in patient care. Data on funding and revenue…

Conflict between theological conservatives and more liberal members of the Southern Baptist Convention has created dissention affecting its higher education institutions. It is predicted Baptist higher education will be funded and supported by a broader base of institutions. As conservatives have taken control of seminaries, several major…

International Churches of Christ, not affiliated with the mainline Church of Christ, actively recruits college students and proselytizes to a degree that some consider harassment and intimidation. Some major institutions have banned the groups from campuses. Some religious groups hesitate to call the International Churches of Christ a cult,…

A recent Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report shows that while higher education enrollment has risen dramatically in industrialized countries, government support has not kept pace. Differences among nations in educational attainment have narrowed over 30 years, and a growing proportion of populations attends…

The Texas legislature is pursuing a bill requiring regular post-tenure performance reviews for college faculty, intended to weed out lazy or incompetent professors. Many faculty express concern about the bureaucratic aspects of such a move, and about its effectiveness. Some observers find currently-required annual reviews for pay raises to be…

Scholars in the University of Maryland's Afro-American studies program are studying the ways in which black communities have been left behind as white society found new ways to advance economically. They hope to reach into black communities to familiarize those populations with computers and use of the Internet while building a research base in…

Minnesota's large-scale restructuring of public higher education in July 1995 created a 45-institution system that has recently experienced further consolidation of 18 community and technical colleges into ten. Other changes include decentralization, downsizing, and changes in support services. Proposal of another merger has created concern that…

A new national survey of college fund raising practices suggests that colleges and universities are not following Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) guidelines for campaign length and donation accounting. The voluntary standards seek to build uniformity and comparability in procedures, but many institutions continue to use…

Data are provided on 142 college and university fund-raising campaigns, by institution type (public, private, research/doctoral, master's, liberal arts, two-year, medical centers, professional and specialized). Information includes campaign goal, beginning date, length, scope, and gift amounts (both face and present value) raised by June 30, 1995.…

Students are competing for places in Peru's 56 universities. To help meet growing demand, four new private universities have opened in the past year and 50 others are seeking accreditation. Proposed legislation will make fund raising easier for new institutions. New institutions are modern, vocationally oriented, and relatively expensive, but will…

Conflicts in many states between administrators and disgruntled college employees have led to a surge of labor activism in academe, including strikes and protests, votes to unionize, disputes over evaluation and compensation, and court litigation. Conflicts involve teaching assistants, adjunct faculty, and tenured faculty alike. (MSE)