Educational, economic, and political conditions in China now favor cooperative programs uniting Chinese and American universities in educational and revenue-producing ventures. Such sister-institution initiatives are just beginning to be studied, but have great promise. (MSE)

Discussed is the new conservatism that is reflected in American economic circles today. Economists and organizations that are responsible for this new vitality in procapitalist economics are highlighted, including Arthur Laffer, Milton Friedman, William Allen, and Frederich Hayek. (JMD)

British prime minister Margaret Thatcher's policies for higher education in Britain are compared with the influences of Ronald Reagan and Jerry Brown on California's higher education history. (MSE)

Recent policy changes and conflicts within Australian higher education hold some lessons for other countries. States are encouraged to take an active and early role in planning to avoid confusion, especially by beginning planning before budget cuts are taken. (MSE)

The need for effective lobbying in Washington by Black colleges and the shortcomings of present activities are outlined. Specific actions regarding Title III funds for developing institutions are among the lobbying needs assessed. (JMF)

The Clinton administration's proposed national service program for college students receiving federal financial aid is examined from a labor-market perspective. It is proposed that national service and higher education be linked more formally than in the current proposal, avoiding considerable bureaucracy and potentially improving program quality.…

This article suggests that, contrary to the opinion of many neoconservative critics, most professors are "academic agnostics" aligning themselves with neither the left nor right politically. The plea by such groups as the National Association of Scholars for a restoration of the academic ethic and consensus is seen to rest on faulty…

Changes in undergraduate curriculum are seen to be generated by significant social, political, and cultural forces at work throughout society. After World War II a core curriculum was encouraged, but an imposition of a core curriculum in today's institutions is seen as inappropriate and ineffectual. (MLW)

After Hopwood versus Texas, a court case in which race-conscious university admission was held unconstitutional, colleges failing to reexamine and mend policies may be inviting trouble. Institutions have a responsibility to sustain conversation within and beyond campus communities about affirmative action, looking at the deep differences in values…

The debate over political correctness and cultural diversity in U.S. higher education is examined, and three basic questions are raised: who is to be taught?, what is to be taught?, and who will teach it?. Higher education's contribution to social change is seen to be its ability to discuss issues with openness, candor, and reason. (DB)

Recommendations of commission reports on improving quality in public education are seen as primarily political statements reflecting the public outrage over the declining quality of American schooling. If the recommendations for sharpening basic skills spill over into higher education, there will be pressure to make colleges into trade schools.…

America's nonprofit sector is seen as being in deep trouble. Difficulties include: escalating labor costs, a disinclination on the part of Americans to make charitable gifts, necessity to adjust to major demographic and geographical shifts, and enlarged government operations that have resulted in undercutting the viability of private institutions.…

It is argued that despite the decline of the humanities in higher education in the 20 years since the National Endowment for the Humanities came into existence, the agency has probably done much to promote the humanities and prevent further decline. (MSE)

Faculty fellowships, designed to foster individual achievement, are in trouble as doubts emerge about individual efficacy in a global environment that requires teamwork and collaboration. They have become politicized, divided by conflicts over criteria. If they are to be renewed, the dominance of research over teaching and service must be…

Issues of equal educational opportunity are seen to be transformed into issues of effectiveness, efficiency, or cultural pluralism. It is suggested that issues of equal educational opportunity are likely to be resolved only by reducing the capacity of the educational system itself to determine the future and the value of individuals. (MLW)