An unusual conflict-of-interest case involving the federal government, a university researcher on ear infections, and the pharmaceutical industry has renewed the debate over what constitutes unacceptable conflict of interest, federal review of medical treatment, government protection against research bias, and disclosure of research project…

Guidelines are offered to authors on the correct citation format for legal references, including statutes and regulations, court decisions, and law review articles. Standards are based on those published by the Harvard Law Review Association and the American Psychological Association. (DB)

The response of higher education to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988 is examined, and the likely response to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is discussed. Implications of the new legislation for colleges and universities are outlined. (MSE)

A survey of 75 college and university presidents concerning their attitudes toward federal regulation found that presidents do not feel overly burdened in terms of such indicators as time, need for legal staff, and number of lawsuits. Areas of concern included alleged discrimination, the environment, and student loan reporting requirements. (DB)

Campus chief executive officers are encouraged to become involved in the federal regulatory process, because regulations can be more significant to the affected parties than the laws that engendered them; thus, the regulatory drafting process offers another opportunity to offer guidance and to persuade. (DB)

Planning for and implementing the Financial Accounting and Standards Board's Statement of Financial Accounting Standards for nonpension retirement benefits gives colleges and universities an opportunity to assess and revise their retiree health benefit plans. However, assessment of the current plan, objectives of changes, projected impact, and…

The Department of Education has ruled that a federal privacy-protection law gives college students the right to see their admissions files, based on a Harvard University graduate's request. The ruling could help shed light on how institutions select students and on the validity of racial discrimination charges in other institutions. (MSE)

Interviews with 30 Indiana migrant farmworkers revealed their limited formal education but broad experiential learning. They were more concerned with preventive health and safety training and literacy education than with pesticide training. Although growers were mandated by the federal Worker Protection Standard to educate workers, implementation…

Wisconsin's Waukesha County Technical College has been cited by the Government Finance Officers Association for prematurely recognizing property tax revenues. The outcome of the dispute will also affect other Wisconsin Technical Colleges and school districts in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Illinois. (MLF)

Congressional compromises on the issue of academic freedom and artistic expression in the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) appropriations controversy have already ceded valuable ground. The best protection for democracy is an unregulated market in expression, a fundamental commitment to intellectual freedom. (MSE)

The reasonable accommodation requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 have recently been applied to public schools. Among the rulings were the provision of a sign language interpreter to hearing-impaired parents and the allowance of a service dog onto a school campus. (MLF)

A number of school attorneys claim that some of the Office for Civil Rights rules exceed statutory authority and impermissibly require "affirmative action" by school districts for certain students with disabilities. Explains that this is a technical legal issue and states why this controversy exists. (MLF)

Annotated outline provides an overview of the administrative and judicial rulings under Section 504 with regard to services to K-12 public school students. (MLF)

Offers advice on washroom compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act Title III (ADA) regulations during school construction and renovation projects. Critical issues concerning bathroom accessibility and practical solutions in washroom design are discussed. Other recommended, non-ADA restroom design guidelines for elementary schools are…

A discussion of federal policy on research integrity and scientific misconduct chronicles the history of federal involvement in accountability in the scientific community, forms of intervention, determination of the boundaries of misconduct, and the rights of whistle blowers. Official definitions and standards are presented. (MSE)