Professors revel in reputation--and nowhere does that show more clearly than in their concern about educational pedigree. That concern takes complicated forms. The author wondered what might happen if graduate admissions were reduced to a level that would only replace retiring professors. One possible consequence of such a move would be that…

In a tight job market, visiting professorships can be appealing way stations for new Ph.D.'s while they search for permanent posts. Unlike adjunct positions, which are often renewed semester by semester, visiting professorships are set by annual or even multiyear contracts, with most capped at three years. The visiting jobs often come with health…

With youth unemployment in South Africa hovering around 50 percent and close to half the population living in poverty, a university degree has come to be seen by many as the only way out. And universities are straining under the burden: This admissions cycle, the University of Johannesburg alone rejected more than 70,000 applicants in filling an…

As colleges and lawmakers seek better data about the employment success of graduates, a lack of standardized tracking makes much of the information unreliable. Many colleges release placement rates based on scant information: More than a third of colleges' reported rates in 2010 were based on responses from half of their graduates or fewer,…

Stakeholders want to know whether the graduates remained in the states where they got their professional science master's (PSM) degree, what their job titles were, and the type of employers they were working for. Business leaders, governors, and university-system heads want to know if graduates are contributing to job creation and work-force…

The Tennessee Technology Center system has become something of a darling among college-completion advocates. Comprising 27 locations across the state, the system boasts graduation and job-placement rates that many colleges only dream of: 75 percent and 83 percent, respectively. Such achievements are even more noteworthy given the population the…

This author realizes that an important part of his job is to make sure his graduate students get their own jobs. What that means is talking about job placement as soon as they walk in the door and tell him they want to do a Ph.D. First he informs them of the current job situation, whatever that is at the time. He makes it clear that the first…

A Pennsylvania college arranges a series of receptions in several cities to encourage seniors to meet alumni with similar career interests and to help students develop the social skills to make further contacts. (MSE)

A small consulting firm, the Registry for College and University Administrators, places retired college presidents in interim positions, usually after an administrator has left suddenly. Interim presidents have been placed at 19 institutions in seven years, mostly at small, private colleges. Almost always, the underlying mission is to lay a strong…

Mistakes made by "U.S. News and World Report" in calculating law school job placement rates have resulted in erroneous rankings of 33 of 50 top schools. For most schools, the revision resulted in movement of only a place or two, but two rankings changed significantly. Educators have long been critical of the rankings, citing a false…

Bergen Community College, Middlesex County College, and Union County College are setting up (1) counseling programs to help welfare recipients determine their job interests and skills, (2) job-training courses, and (3) day-care centers for participants children. (MLW)

Increasingly, doctoral programs are cutting enrollments to allow them to offer more financial support to doctoral students, often guaranteeing five-year stipends. The combination of fewer applicants and fewer places in doctoral programs has created competition for the best graduate students. Course offerings have also been reduced, making…

DeVry Inc., one of the nation's largest for-profit postsecondary education systems, has been aggressive and successful, expanding to 13 technical institutes in the United States and Canada. The company specializes in providing high-school graduates seeking technical jobs and older workers needing additional training with no-frills, skills-based…

ACCESS: Networking in the Public Interest provides people and job placement offices nationwide with job listings and pertinent information on public-interest organizations. Students at subscribing institutions will be able to punch their employment interest into the computer and get back a listing of appropriate job openings. (MLW)