The Duke University academic council restored tough language to a resolution of a faculty panel charged with finding ways to improve recruiting of Black professors, also urging Duke to double its number of Black doctoral candidates, set up a postdoctoral program, and support graduate training for Black undergraduates. (MLW)

The English Department at Carnegie Mellon believes they are creating a new-wave curriculum. Theoretical questions are becoming the center of undergraduate study. Scholars want students to think about the political, social, and historical forces that end up shaping a writer's vision, the written work, and the reader's interpretation. (MLW)

Topnotch scholars, academic couples, and emphasis on new theories are transforming the English department at Duke University. Professors lured to Duke say joint appointments and interdisciplinary responsibilities are a big part of the attraction. Several members describe their work as left-leaning or Marxist. (MLW)