It's the night before one of Javier Jimenez's big job interviews at the Modern Language Association (MLA) meeting. The 35-year-old graduate student, who is scheduled to earn his Ph.D. in comparative literature this spring from the University of California at Berkeley, is trying to ward off anxiety and abdominal pains. The mystique of the MLA, the…

Trends in three major areas relating to higher education are charted: College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF) performance since 1990; the employment outlook until 2005 for major occupational groups; and the relationship of college faculty pay to the cost of living since 1987-88. (MSE)

A new study based on data from a national longitudinal study reveal that, although former students who competed in college athletics are doing better economically by age 32 than those who did not, the education the athletes received is of questionable quality. Some criticize the study's methodology and conclusions. (MSE)

Tables present 1993-94 data on the top 108 university and 11 nonuniversity research libraries in the United States and Canada, including numbers of volumes in the library, volumes added, number of current serials, permanent staff, and total dollar expenditures. A pie graph also illustrates operating expenditure proportions. (MSE)

United States institutions awarded 42,705 doctorates in 1997, the highest one-year total ever, and a 32% increase over a decade ago. Some fields, primarily the sciences and engineering, experienced declines. Data are presented on the demographic characteristics and employment/postdoctoral education plans of doctorate recipients, institutions…

An annual survey of 2,423 college presidents resulted in a profile of administrator characteristics, including gender, age, race, marital status, religious affiliation, tenure, faculty status, educational background, and employment history. Results suggest that progress in diversifying higher education's leadership is slow. Survey data are…

A 1995 Department of Education survey of 3,792 postsecondary institutions reveals changes in staffing and salary patterns since 1991, including shifts in hiring, tenure, gender, and race among administrators, faculty, and general staff. Overall, full-time employment declined 1%; part-time employment rose 18%, and part-time faculty at two-year…