College campuses are hothouses of data, including course schedules, degree requirements, and grades. But much of the information remains spread out across software systems or locked on university servers. Start-up companies want to pry the information loose from campus servers in order to offer personalized services that could transform the…

The University of Iowa has reversed course on a plan to make some students' theses freely available online, following protests from students in the university's writing programs. The students said the plan could have threatened the potential commercial value of their novels, plays, and other creative works. The controversy began in late winter,…

Many adults are attending weekend colleges in search of undergraduate degrees. The intense two- or three-day programs provide a workable alternative for adults who are unable or unwilling to attend classes during the day or evening. (MLW)

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants has ruled that by the year 2000, new members must have 150 credits in higher education (a year of study beyond the bachelor's degree) due to the increased complexity of accounting. The transition to the new requirements is predicted to be disruptive. (MSE)

In response to the increasing amount of time it takes many students to complete a bachelor's degree, Arizona's Board of Regents has lowered the number of credits required to graduate from the three state universities. Critics are concerned about educational quality and the role of the Arizona Board of Regents in academic matters. (MSE)

In an effort to combat juvenile speech patterns of "mallspeak" and engage students in intelligent conversation, classes in oral communication are appearing among the general education requirements at colleges, and speaking-intensive classes are emerging in all disciplines. Communications faculty feel the skills should be taught within their…

The crisis in American education as revealed in the decay in the college course of study and in the role of college faculties in creating and nurturing that decay is discussed. The text of the report of the AAC Project on Redefining the Meaning and Purpose of Baccalaureate Degrees is presented. (MLW)

A Wellesley College (Massachusetts) requirement that students take at least one course on a non-European culture is being reevaluated by faculty. Some feel the requirement is vague, and both conservatives and liberals express concern over emphasis on multiculturalism. (MSE)

No college or university last year joined the 14 institutions that already require students to buy computers. The reasons include: greater than expected costs of supporting required computers, lack of educational software, and adequency of computer laboratories are sufficient for the needs of most students. (MLW)

Colleges that train schoolteachers are encouraged to stiffen their admissions and graduation requirements and give prospective teachers a bigger dose of the liberal arts. The report of the National Commission for Excellence in Teacher Education is discussed. (MLW)

Frustrations common among students at large institutions include unavailability of faculty, crowding, inadequate advising, and problems getting into required courses. Students are often too intimidated to ask for help, but at some institutions they are pressing for changes. (MSE)

A teacher education policy is proposed by the education deans of 23 private and public universities to create an elite corps of elementary/secondary teachers rules out undergraduate education majors and requires a master's degree in education, a substantial internship, and in some cases, a specialized postgraduate degree. (MSE)

The new goals for teacher education proposed by the Holmes Group Consortium, the education deans of 23 research universities, concern the institutional environment, faculty, students, and professional curriculum. (MSE)

The responses of 1,866 faculty are reported on trends in staffing, funding, course offerings and enrollments, majors, personnel policy, library holdings, and supplies and equipment in their departments. (MSE)

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is aggressively pursuing a plan to change the presentation and dissemination of student research by requiring students to submit theses and dissertations in digital form and creating a database on the World Wide Web that provides free, instantaneous access to graduate students' research. Some…