The American Council on Education's president has proposed a broad plan to overhaul federal student aid, replacing current programs with a more coherent plan. It would expand grant-money for low-income students and maintain the present guaranteed-loan program while creating two new loan plans to reduce government costs. (MSE)

Private organizations and state governments are increasingly seeking out businesses with training needs they cannot fulfill themselves and finding community colleges willing to set up flexible retraining programs quickly. (MSE)

The Mardi Gras Coalition, a project of Tulane University's community-service organization, trains student volunteers to provide emergency medical and other services at New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration. The students get desired practical medical experience and also help the community. (MSE)

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the sports-governing body for over 500 small colleges and universities, will weigh a series of major alterations in rules and procedures concerning standards for freshman athletes, separate competition divisions in all sports, an accreditation system for monitoring academic standards,…

Faculty members who write computer software for teaching often find that their chances of getting credit for it during promotion-and-tenure reviews are slim. Software development needs to be considered scholarship just like research. (MLW)

A campus report criticizes the University of Massachusetts' handling of a racial brawl after the 1986 World Series. It was the most violent of several racial incidents reported on college campuses this year. The report called for administrative and educational changes to improve the quality of life for Black students. (MLW)

Faculty members at the University of California are braced for a bitter and protracted court battle over academic decision-making. Six academics, who say they have been mistreated under the current confidential tenure and promotion reviews, are trying to open the reviews and give tenure candidates access to their files. (MLW)

As of June 1, 1987 employees will be responsible for making sure each person hired since President Reagan signed the new federal immigration bill into law can legally work in the United States. One problem is in hiring Americans, who now have to produce documents showing they are citizens. (MLW)

The trend toward corporate political support of higher education appears to be spreading. After years of corporate and business financial support to higher education, now groups in Kentucky, Washington, Utah, West Virginia and other states are making political contributions to higher education as well. (MLW)

Ronald Reagan's first Secretary of Education, Terrel H. Bell, was interviewed on the nation's education policy and he reminisced about his four years in office. His observations on the changes in Reagan's support of higher education, Secretary Bennett, work-study programs, etc. are discussed. (MLW)

There is a growing breed of academic administrator: faculty members, often with titles such as associate or assistant dean, whose primary responsibilities are in fund raising. An academic background helps fund raisers play a more important role in planning the future of their institutions. (MLW)

A federal appeals court upheld the authority of the University of Michigan to revoke a master's degree awarded to a student found to have fabricated a discovery on which his thesis was based. A degree can be revoked without a court proceeding or trial when allegations of fraud are involved. (MLW)

A table showing data from the Survey of Earned Doctorates cites the following: sex, citizenship, marital status, percent with bachelor's degree in same field as doctorate, planned postdoctoral study, planned postdoctoral employment, primary postdoctoral work, and region of employment after doctorate. (MLW)

Twenty-four institutions under NCAA sanctions are listed with dates of probation, sport under probation, sanctions, and grounds for action. (MLW)

Minority-student retention efforts at Boston College, California State University at Fresno, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Purdue University are analyzed. Key factors common to all four institutions' retention efforts are identified: well-defined policy, high level of commitment, comprehensive student services, and dedicated…