Fraternities are criticized for deteriorating student behavior, but college administrations are also under fire for not controlling or taking responsibility for the organizations. Conflict over the organizations' value continues. (MSE)

Lower-than-anticipated returns in the bond market and higher-than-expected tuition increases have forced Duquesne University to discontinue the nation's first prepaid-tuition program and is causing other institutions to reevaluate the idea. However, interest remains high among some. (MSE)

Responses are presented by the Soviet Union's Minister of Higher and Specialized Secondary Education to questions about proposed changes in the Soviet higher education system, the system's strengths and problems, Soviet perceptions of the American system, and efforts to encourage student and faculty initiative in academic planning and curricular…

It is argued that William Bennett's criticism of American higher education as too costly shows a lack of knowledge about its history and traditions. (MSE)

A court ruling that the University of California must ensure that all federal Hatch Act agricultural research funds go to projects benefiting primarily small family farms is seen as promoting special-interest politics, selective interpretation of federal legislation, and a romanticized view of farmers and may unduly influence research directions.…

The National Research Council's survey of earned doctorates found a continuing decline in the proportion of Ph.D.'s earned by U.S. citizens. Among Blacks, more than half of the doctorates were in education-related fields. Cornell University and MIT have started recruitment efforts to encourage minority groups. (MLW)

While many institutions still treat pregnancy and childbirth strictly as medical disabilities, some have adopted flexible policies that allow for reduced teaching loads, unpaid time off, and longer probationary periods before tenure decisions. The AAUP believes pregnancy should be treated strictly as a medical disability. (MLW)

Historians have extended the study of religion into the 20th century, and in social sciences many scholars are reassessing their theories about the secularization of American society. Recent trends in scholarship have also facilitated the rediscovery of the Bible and other religious texts. (MLW)

A review of court decisions indicates that colleges generally had not been held liable for injuries arising from use of alcohol in dormitories or fraternities. Sexual harassment perpetrators are becoming more sophisticated and the incidents are less blatant. (MLW)

Responses to four questions by 13 presidential candidates in a survey by the Council on Competitiveness is presented. Four questions covered financing college education, training and retraining, federal research and development programs, and federal support of science and technology. (MLW)

Many governors use their annual addresses to boast about the accomplishments of their state colleges, others to encourage their colleges and universities to make specific changes or to seek increased financing for higher education. Excerpts from some of the addresses delivered in 1988 are presented. (MLW)

A report by the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges predicts a skill shortage, born of the mismatch between the needs of the labor market and the profile of the labor pool. A plan to enhance the future of minority students in higher education is outlined. (MLW)

A table showing the results of the Survey of Earned Doctorates by the National Research Council is presented, with degree fields broken down by such variables as time to degree, sex, citizenship, marital status, planned postdoctoral study or employment. (MLW)

Hundreds of students have moved out of dormitories at the University of Calgary to make way for athletes participating in the Olympic Games. Other distractions and benefits are described. (MLW)

Employees and faculty members at private institutions, it is suggested, have the right to decide whether they wish to engage in collective bargaining. Faculty members should seek support for narrower legislation establishing that participation in institutional governance would not automatically confer managerial status on faculty members. (MLW)