With little appropriate commercial software available, college faculty are creating their own specialized software and are willing to share it with colleagues. To fill the gap between creator and user, colleges, scholarly societies, grant-making organizations, and computer manufacturers have created a variety of software-dissemination programs.…

Colleges and universities are beginning to consider collaborating on open-source-code projects as a way to meet critical software and computing needs. Points out the attractive features of noncommercial open-source software and describes some examples in use now, especially for the creation of Web infrastructure. (SLD)

Earth is a repository of data on climatic changes from its deep-time history. Article discusses the collection and study of these data to predict future climatic changes, the need to create national study centers for the purpose, and the necessary cooperation between different branches of science in climatic research.

Describes how, as campus protests against the war in Iraq continue in the Arab world, some academics fear a long-term estrangement between intellectuals there and in the United States. (EV)

Describes how colleges in 16 countries have joined in a network to serve the educational and research needs of the circumpolar region; the University of the Arctic is a band of high-latitude colleges which seeks to serve indigenous people and preserve a fragile environment. (EV)

Describes how a growing number of top business schools, after years of trying to outdo one another, are joining forces in various academic programs. An example is the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, which has created a West-coast campus and partnership with INSEAD in France. Discusses how such partnerships present special problems.…

The Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg (Germany), a member of a new European consortium of innovative universities, has been broadening its revenue base by conducting research and training for industry and local government and marketing the technical advances developed in its own laboratories. An interdisciplinary approach to research is…

Universitas 21, an international network of research universities in seven countries, has filed an application in Britain to become an incorporated business. It aims to attract corporate clients interested in exploiting the combined academic assets and intellectual property of its member institutions, particularly in the areas of technology…

Academic alliances among educators who share ideas about teaching are flourishing in almost every state. First started in foreign languages, they are now being set up in other disciplines, primarily English, geography, history, mathematics, and science. (MSE)

A new program linking the Phoenix Union High School District with local community colleges and state universities identifies high-risk high school students, brings their work up to college level, counsels them, and monitors their progress to graduation. The high dropout rate forced institutions in the different segments to cooperation. (MSE)

The Dad Vail Regatta, the world's largest intercollegiate rowing regatta, attracted teams from 73 colleges in 1986 in a broad-based competition, requiring women to row the same race that men row. It is evidence of a growing interest in rowing as an intercollegiate sport. (MSE)

The National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, thought to be ready to merge, have ended negotiations. Response to the failed talks has varied greatly. Some local chapters have already joined forces, others continue to consider it. (MSE)

Collision of a comet with Jupiter beginning July 16, 1994 will be observed by astronomers worldwide, with computerized information relayed to a center at the University of Maryland, financed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National Science Foundation. Geologists and paleontologists also hope to learn more about earth's…

A federal appeals court has given the Massachusetts Institute of Technology another chance to prove in court that the Overlap Group, of which MIT was a member, did not violate antitrust laws. The group of 23 colleges set common financial-aid awards for students admitted to more than one institution. (MSE)

The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, after working for over three years to restore integrity and public confidence to college sports, has a mixed reputation as an effective force for change and supporter of the status quo. Most agree it has at least served as a catalyst for change. (MSE)