Saint Mary's College (Maryland) is a small state liberal arts institution that has extensive control over its budget, property and assets, and decisions about borrowing money. These conditions, in effect since 1992, affords it substantial freedom from regulation, efficient spending, and greater opportunity to fulfill its mission as an honors…

Since 1983, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton has made education the central focus of his administration, raising teacher salaries and qualification requirements, encouraging participation in higher education, and raising taxes to fund reform despite resistance. Continuing problems include limited resources and low esteem for state colleges among the…

In 1994-95, States will increase spending on public colleges and student aid by 7.6% over 1992-93, the largest increase since the recession began. Forty states have raised appropriations. Data are presented for each state university, state college, two-year colleges, other institutions, and student aid, by state. States are also ranked by…

A federal court ruled that the Justice Department had failed to prove that Alabama's public colleges and universities were segregated. The Justice Department had argued that the entire state system was segregated, instead of offering evidence that specific programs receiving federal money had violated the anti-bias laws. (MLW)

Excerpts from recently-released Department of Education reports outline the success of Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Virginia in recruiting black students and faculty to predominantly white state colleges and universities. (MSE)

Tables show a sharp drop in state appropriations for higher education. The figures were compiled by the Illinois State University Center for Higher Education. (MLW)

The bachelor's, master's, doctor's and first professional degrees awarded to men and women in U.S. public and private institutions are summarized for 30 discipline areas and 10 professional disciplines. (MSE)

Concern about the quality of public colleges and universities and the effectiveness of mechanisms for governing and financing them have led states to launch reviews of their higher education systems. The experiences of four states (Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, and Minnesota) are described. (MLW)

Serving as a special master of a federal court, Paul R. Verkuil, the president of the College of William and Mary, developed a plan to integrate Louisiana's colleges. A governance structure, ending racial characteristics of historically Black colleges, and a quota for Black membership on the governing board are proposed. (MLW)

In at least 10 states, conservative groups are pushing for ballot initiatives to limit gay-rights laws or remove public funding from gay organizations. Legal experts feel colleges and universities would be affected, particularly in constraints placed on curriculum content, college policies and services, and use of institutional facilities for…

Although Georgia officials are moving to close college-admissions loopholes they say allow public colleges to admit many unqualified undergraduates, some black leaders fear enrollments at the state's three public, historically black colleges will suffer. The plan would funnel underprepared students into remedial classes at two-year colleges. (MSE)

A federal district judge ruled that state officials failed to demonstrate the need to close Mississippi Valley State University and merge Mississippi University for Women with Mississippi State University to meet desegregation requirements. He ordered Mississippi to provide additional funds to two other black colleges, and approved a state plan…

A federal judge has ordered Alabama's two public, historically black universities to enroll more whites as part of a statewide effort to reduce racial segregation in public colleges. Critics are offended by the judge's comments that the colleges' black heritage discourages white enrollment. The ruling also contained some more welcome results,…

Annual ratings that try to summarize the condition of public colleges are required in some states. The reports contain comparative data on individual institutions and are appealing to lawmakers and the public. Some see them as sources of useful policy-making information; others see them as simplistic answers to complex issues. (MSE)

Data on voluntary giving to private and public higher education institutions include information on the purposes of the support (operations, capital, endowment, and loan funds), sources (alumni, parents, other individuals, foundations, industry, and religious and other organizations), forms of giving, annual fund support, property gifts, and…