Rising costs, changes in the health-care system, reduced research money, and proposed cutbacks in funds for treating the poor are forcing academic medical centers to consider new ways to remain viable. Resulting actions being considered or implemented include administrative restructuring, worker layoffs, mergers, reduced physician hiring,…

A recent Supreme Court ruling that Mississippi's colleges are segregated and should consider mergers of predominantly white and historically black colleges has put pressure on black college alumni groups to help keep their institutions alive as an educational option. The Black College Alumni Leadership Consortium is establishing a political action…

Problems and controversies involving public black colleges are reported in the context of the recent Supreme Court decision suggesting states should merge historically black colleges with geographically close, predominantly white institutions. In some cases white political leaders are blamed for potential closures of vulnerable institutions.…