On campuses around the country, part-time and temporary instructors are pushing for power, and many see unions as the most likely way to get results. At issue are salaries, benefits, terms of appointment, etc. (MLW)

Improving America's worldwide industrial competitiveness is a hot political issue of 1987. Popular ideas on Capitol Hill, lobbying for tax credit, budget deficits, Treasury Department's recommendations, fiscal increase for National Science Foundation, increased student aid, matching grants, and role for two-year colleges are discussed. (MLW)

A new Soviet program, aimed at strengthening the national economy, comes at a time when Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev is moving to improve Russia's political standing in the world. Pending changes include: updating of university curricula and textbooks, salary increases, and new emphasis on practical experience for teachers. (MLW)

Government, university, and private foundation officials are worried about the effects of the tax law on graduate students. The National Science Foundation is considering compensating students for the amount of new taxes they will owe. Foreign students are expected to incur substantial increases in U.S. taxes. (MLW)

A program at Brandeis University uses literature to help professionals confront career dilemmas and work-related moral issues. Program participants say literature provides a "non-threatening" way to discuss difficult subjects. Doctors, legislators, corporate executives, public-school teachers, etc. have participated. (MLW)

Facilitating, stimulating, and disseminating scholarship on blues, gospel, Creole, jazz, and other kinds of black music are the goals of the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College in Chicago. The paucity of black scholars, developing a "union catalog," and the need for reference books are discussed. (MLW)

Good research and good teaching are not mutually exclusive, professors and deans demonstrated at the meeting of the Association of American Colleges. The traditional "teacher-scholar model" is seen as intimidating, since most faculty members aren't publishing enough. The model should include scholarship that doesn't end up in print. (MLW)

Two student newspapers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison are in fierce competition for readers and advertisers. A proposal of the Badger Herald, an 18-year-old conservative weekly, that the two merge their financial operations was rejected by the liberal Daily Cardinal and the newspaper war was on. (MLW)

No college or university last year joined the 14 institutions that already require students to buy computers. The reasons include: greater than expected costs of supporting required computers, lack of educational software, and adequency of computer laboratories are sufficient for the needs of most students. (MLW)

The myriad duties in academic life make it especially difficult to keep stress under control. Some of the reasons academic careers are so stressful include: competition, low pay and poor working conditions, tight resources, lessened mobility, growth in part-time positions, and high self-expectations. (MLW)

Some signs of stress are identified and ways to deal with stress are described. (MLW)

A Missouri proposal that parents be allowed to set up special savings accounts for their children's college education that would be exempt from state income tax is described. It is compared to a plan in Michigan that allows parents to prepay tuition at colleges in the state. (MLW)

States are being urged to require non-profit organizations including colleges and universities to take greater responsibility for those who raise funds in their name, and to report their fund-raising activities in much more detail. In the past, colleges have been exempted from such laws. (MLW)

The Citadel, a state institution, has attempted to push for a broad-based education in languages, history, and literature while maintaining its 145-year-old tradition of military discipline and training. An incident with a black cadet has brought on a barrage of public criticism. (MLW)

Faculty organizations are taking a closer look at college athletic programs and are voicing strong objections when they don't like what they see. (MLW)