The first federal court decision on campus privacy protection law (the Buckley Amendment) contradicts the interpretation of the law used by the United States Department of Education and most colleges and universities. The case, against Southwest Missouri State University, offers encouragement to campus journalists wishing to publicize campus crime…

The U.S. Supreme Court decision that it is unconstitutional for public entities to ban specific kinds of "fighting words" without banning all such speech is discussed as it concerns institutions of higher education. It is viewed that the college campus, not the cities, is where this decision will be tested. (GLR)

Higher education must tell legislatures how the state should raise the money the colleges want to spend--even if it means higher taxes--and then lobby on behalf of those proposals. This also means addressing new and potentially controversial issues about the role of colleges in state politics. (MLW)

Critics of standardized tests support new legislation to provide breakdowns of test results by sex, race, and ethnic group, confident they will find evidence of bias. (MSE)

Governor Schaefer of Maryland declared that higher education would be the top priority this year. His major proposal was to bring the 13 four-year colleges and universities under the governance of a single board, while limiting the power of the statewide coordinating board and eliminating single campus boards. (MLW)

A plan for all of the state of Maryland's 13 public colleges and universities to be included in the University of Maryland System is discussed. The system would be governed by a board of regents, and each college would have a board of trustees to monitor campus issues. (MLW)

Proposed taxes and bans on college business activities grow out of criticism from the owners of small businesses that colleges and other non-profit organizations abuse their tax-exempt status to compete with tax-paying companies by selling certain items. (MLW)

Appropriations requests made by state coordinating boards or individual systems for 1988-89 and the political outlook for higher-education-related legislation are outlined for each of the 50 states. (MSE)

An Ohio court has overturned a previous ruling that a blind woman be admitted to medical school at Case Western Reserve University, arguing that the accommodations required to graduate her would be unfairly burdensome and would keep her from having the medical experience required of other students. (MSE)

The California Legislature approved a bill to reform the state's community-college system by transferring most of the Legislature's power over the colleges to the state board that coordinates their governance. The bill also makes major changes in the colleges financing, the courses they offer, and the tenure process. (MLW)

The legislative outlook for higher education is summarized state by state. Appropriations requests show the amount sought by state-wide coordinating boards or by individual college and university systems, not by governors. All appropriations requests are for operating expenses of the 1989-1990 fiscal and academic years. (MLW)

Small-business leaders have persuaded many lawmakers that nonprofit organizations--particularly colleges and universities--have used their tax-exempt status and government support to gain an unfair advantage over privately owned businesses. Computer-store owners, private chemical-laboratory owners, and travel agents say colleges should not receive…

The departure of the University of North Carolina's able and powerful president, William P. Friday, has prompted much debate about the structure and governance of the university system and its relationship to the state legislature. (MSE)