The 2008 presidential election has broken so many political barriers that historians may overlook one unusual fact: When Barack Obama takes the oath of office in January alongside his running mate, Joe Biden, it will be the first time that the president, the vice president, and both of their spouses have worked in higher education. Taken together,…

Last week the Board of Regents of the University of California tabled a faculty proposal to broaden the pool of applicants eligible for admission to the 10 campuses in the University of California system. The regents took the action to allow the university's new president, Mark G. Yudof, as well as regents who were uncertain about the proposal,…

The U.S. ambassador to India, in an interview with "The Chronicle" last week, criticized the opposition of some Indian government officials and politicians to legislation that would allow U.S. and other foreign universities to establish campuses or programs in the country. He spoke favorably, however, about India's willingness to take on…

In this article, the author talks about the need for sound policies to help faculty members balance family life with career issues. Many human-resource policies--for example, those governing conflicts of interest--can be developed almost independently of other policies and have a high degree of transferability from one campus to the next. A…

At least two dozen political action committees in six states (Alabama, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Texas, Washington) accept donations and contribute to legislators on behalf of diverse colleges and universities. Defenders say the political committees help keep the institutions' allies in office and protect access to them. Critics feel public…

While some teachers think cable television broadcasts of congressional proceedings reveal how public policy is made, others feel it is not a representative view, has limited access, and contains little useful material for the time required to obtain it. (MSE)

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Board of Directors has decided not to re-examine a rule limiting the committees on which the Division I-A football conferences are entitled to hold a majority. Critics of the rule saw inequities in committee membership that would cause major teams to be governed by decisions of members…

The United States House of Representatives' committees that make policy of importance to higher education are described, subcommittee leaders are profiled, and members are listed by political party. Telephone numbers are also provided. (MSE)

Reports on the ideas of Clifford Adelman, senior analyst at the Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement, noting his iconoclastic approach; research on enrollment patterns, student assessment, and remedial education; and reports on college-attendance patterns, engineering education, and women. Critics point to…

Many scientists and policymakers are urging the federal government to set priorities for the scientific projects the government should support, but few can agree on how those priorities should be determined or on how much say researchers should have in the process. (MLW)

A table lists institutions of higher education that have sold all or part of their holdings in companies with operations in South Africa. Most of the institutions that have partially divested use the Sullivan Principles, which set equal-employment standards for U.S. corporations, as a guideline. (MLW)

Recent cases of scholarly plagiarism raise issues concerning the varied policies of institutions of higher education and learned societies (e.g., American Sociological Association and the American Association of University Professors) concerning plagiarism investigations and sanctions. A need for more coherent procedures and for distinctions…

The new governors of five states (Alabama, California, Iowa, Massachusetts, South Carolina), all of whom are expected to influence state higher education policy, are profiled. Information includes election result summaries, proposed initiatives and policy directions concerning college and university financing and student aid, and challenges faced…

Colleges should consider adopting specific policies for handling incidents of racial harassment. Campus policies for dealing with racial harassment "should be written, posted, and specific, and make a commitment that there will be no retaliation against a complainant." (MLW)

The Network of Colleges and Universities Committed to the Elimination of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, a national higher-education group for exchanging information about substance abuse programs has issued a set of 22 standards for college policy formation and enforcement. Institutions will be invited to join the network. (MSE)