Colleges and universities have refuted Secretary of Education William J. Bennett's charges that they are not combatting drug abuse on campus. Another study has found that college policies concerning alcohol abuse have not been supported by adequate abuse-prevention programs. (MSE)

A growing number of college students report that campus judicial systems are more concerned with political correctness than with fairness, or that the systems are unfair regardless of the discipline issue, and complain about the secrecy of proceedings. Shift from a paternalistic discipline policy to a legalistic one is seen. (MSE)

Describes Ohio Wesleyan and Duke universities' new guidelines for an age-old problem: sexual relationships between instructors and students. (EV)

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)

A former Dartmouth College (New Hampshire) admissions officer has written a book about the college admissions process at Ivy League and other selective colleges. She details factors in admissions decision making that contradict stated policies and admissions principles. Admissions professionals at Dartmouth and other colleges criticize the book as…

A federal district judge has struck down a two-year-old University of Wisconsin code barring slurs or epithets based on an individual's race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or ethnic origin, ruling that it violates students' First-Amendment rights to freedom of speech. The decision affects a number of other colleges. (MSE)

Settlement of tobacco company lawsuits, currently in litigation in 22 states, would benefit college and universities holding tobacco company stock in their endowments. A number of institutions are considering divesting such stock for ethical reasons, but at most institutions the political immediacy of the issue is not great. (MSE)

The Supreme Court's ruling in a flag-burning case raises questions about whether antiharassment policies that colleges and universities have adopted, penalizing slurs and epithets used by students to harass others, violate the First Amendment to the Constitution. If public college policies were found unconstitutional, private colleges would not…

The Network of Colleges and Universities Committed to the Elimination of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, a national higher-education group for exchanging information about substance abuse programs has issued a set of 22 standards for college policy formation and enforcement. Institutions will be invited to join the network. (MSE)

Federal legislation effective in 1994 bars colleges and universities from forcing tenured faculty to retire at age 70. Reactions of unions and professional associations, a required study of the law's impact, and a related measure requiring institutions to continue contributions to pension plans of over-65 workers are discussed. (MSE)

Because admissions directors at private colleges do not like to talk about affirmative action policies and practices and are not required to, they are often challenged and criticized. Some admissions officials feel data would be misread or distorted if released. (MSE)

The American Council on Education has published guidelines for institutions to use in establishing and carrying out policy on sexual harrassment, addressing such issues as grievance procedures, dissemination of information about policy and claim resolutions, campus education programs, recordkeeping, and the use of a coordinator to handle reports…

In an unusually frank book, a prominent feminist theorist and college professor attacks college and university policies that limit relationships between faculty and students. When attempting to sexualize the atmosphere in which she worked, by kissing a female student in public, she was accused of sexual harassment, an action she finds inconsistent…

A group of selective liberal arts colleges will bar many of their athletic teams from postseason championships as of academic year 2001-02, following an eight-year experiment to see if postseason competition would fit into the colleges' missions. Factors in the decision include students missing examinations and increased tension with faculty over…

Female college professors feel pressure to plan childbirth for the summer because maternity policies don't accommodate mid-academic-year births and finding a substitute instructor may be difficult. A few institutions offer paid maternity leave. Wesleyan University (Connecticut) offers mothers and fathers the option of part-time pay for leave or…