In a long-simmering national fight over compensation for public-college presidents, the State of California emerged this year as the primary battleground. More than any other institution in recent memory, California State University has publicly and sometimes bitterly wrestled with a vexing question for higher education: How much does a public…

While colleges across the nation are coping with the recession, public universities in Florida, a state with finances that resemble a Ponzi scheme, have spent years doing without. The recession hit Florida early, and in a big way. Without an income tax, state government has long depended on property and sales taxes. As real estate and tourism have…

When people talk about the future of public universities, they are usually talking about the flagship state universities. Flagship state universities have greatly increased expenditures in the past decade. The goal of the flagship institutions has been to compete with the best private universities, based on the assumptions that state funds will be…

Female faculty members and graduate students at Rutgers University in New Brunswick's political-science department feel unfairly compensated and shut out of leadership positions by their male counterparts, says an internal university report obtained by "The Chronicle." In at least one case, a woman has been afraid to complain about…

In response to criticism of its high fees paid to some visiting professors, the University of South Carolina has established a policy by which visiting professors can earn an annual income no larger than that of the highest-paid professor at the institution. (MSE)

According to a national survey by the College and University Personnel Association, there was a wider gap this year between the salary increases at private institutions, 6.8%, and those at public institutions, 4.5%. Private institutions might be catching up after years of high inflation. (MLW)

A table compares faculty salaries by intellectual disciplines and by faculty rank. A total of 272 public and 451 private institutions were surveyed by the College and University Personnel Association. (MLW)

A table outlining faculty members' summer-school earnings presents data by discipline group and type of institution, by discipline group and rank, and by type of institution and rank. (MLW)

Studies conducted in the University of California system and at the University of Virginia reveal that they have yet to take the necessary steps to diversify their faculties. Financial incentives were recommended to encourage departments to meet hiring goals. (MLW)

Median salaries for 69 categories of second-level program administrators, including athletic coaches, are given for all institutions, public and private universities, all universities, all four-year colleges, and public two-year colleges. (MSE)