New rules are coming for sanitizing conflicts of interest in research financed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), dispenser of the government's biggest budget for civilian science, some $31 billion this year. The conflicted need not fear. The draft rules, soon to be made final, continue the NIH's longtime practice of trust but don't…

Librarians and scholars who seek to counter the rampant commercialism and consolidation that endanger equal and affordable access to knowledge can learn from the recent successful effort to pass health-care reform. Organizations with a commanding presence in an industry naturally seek to institutionalize their indispensability. They finance…

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)

Past restrictions on his travel in the United States after the author was classified an "undesirable alien" under the provisions of the McCarran-Walter Act are described. (Author/MLW)

The Teachers Insurance and Annuities Association (TIAA) is criticized for inadequate financial disclosure of its mortgage and real estate investments, especially in the current market. A TIAA vice president responds that the company has not been remiss in reporting changes to its constituents and outlines its present financial status. (MSE)

New federal rules ("don't ask, don't tell") about service of gays and lesbians in the military services have implications for college faculty and counselors. The regulations make a number of educational, personal, and social activities risky, including seeking counseling or medical assistance and speaking from a personal viewpoint in…

On June 30, the Bush administration imposed new regulations sharply curtailing already-limited travel to Cuba. A New York Times article published on June 24 characterized the regulations as "part of a broader plan that President Bush announced last month to be tougher on President Fidel Castro and speed a transition to democracy in Cuba.…

Looks at the history of fair use of copyright-protected works, from concerns about photocopying to emergence of early guidelines, opposition, and continuing struggles to interpret the Copyright Act of 1976. Argues that no current fair use guidelines have the force of law; indeed, the law is a less complex measure than most guidelines. Recommends a…

Provisions of the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1992 concerning accreditation provide a clear message to the higher education community that the public has serious questions about the quality of higher education. Confidence can be restored by increasing public involvement in accreditation and by informing it of higher education's…

The work of the National Policy Board on Higher Education Institutional Accreditation, an organization formed to bring together public policymakers, institutions, and others involved in accreditation for reform of the system, is described. Educators are urged to move toward change before the federal government intervenes. (MSE)

The Teachers Insurance and Annuities Association's (TIAA) College Retirement and Equity Fund is criticized for its low returns and its chief executive officer's recent salary raise. It is said to be in need of additional regulation and policyholder involvement. A TIAA vice president responds that the analysis given is inaccurate and misleading.…

In response to anticipated federal intervention in higher education accreditation, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges has made recommendations that did not unite but alienated its members. Two current major debates concern diversity standards and the future of accrediting agencies in higher education. (MSE)

Despite the deficiencies of accreditation, it is more likely to protect academic quality and faculty professionalism and is preferable to any foreseeable system of federal regulation. College faculty should participate in reforming accreditation and seek continuing involvement in the proposed new national organization for accreditation. (MSE)

The American Association of University Professors' Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure reports on potential problems and concerns in government regulation of research opportunities, methods, and use of research results. Federal actions, campus responses to these actions, and the relationship of academic freedom and national security are…

Secretary of Education William Bennett's proposal to link the criteria for listing accrediting agencies to student achievement and relate them to federal funding eligibility has provoked concern about the degree and wisdom of federal regulation of colleges through accreditation. (MSE)