SUNY's Chancellor Wrestles a System at Odds With Itself

Nancy L. Zimpher wants to make sure that the system's individual campuses will not flourish unless the entire system flourishes.

Albion College Pledges to Help Students Find a Career Path—and Stay On It

Guarantees like that are becoming more attractive to students wondering about their job prospects.

Latin American Universities Strive to Raise Their Global Profiles

As a result, U.S. colleges have begun to look south for partnerships with elite institutions in countries like Chile and Mexico.

Paleontology's No. 2 Expert

Jim I. Mead has been collecting dung for 40 years. Don't try to tell him his job stinks.

Barista, Thou Art Translated

From a Starbucks counter to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at a community college, in one witty leap.

Community-College Professor Explores the Ethics of Treating Animals

On a sabbatical at Yale's bioethics center, Susan Kopp studies the morality of euthanasia, destroying wild habitats, and even declawing cats.

Angling for the Answers

We respond to search queries that led readers to The Chronicle's Web site.

A Sweet Solution to the Sourness of Furlough Days

A professor at the University of Georgia enlists his furloughed colleagues as volunteers at local schools.

British Libel Law Chills U.S. Scholars' Speech, but Change Is Afoot

"Libel tourists," seeking big judgments, take advantage of British laws that favor plaintiffs in libel actions much more than U.S. laws do.

Tariq Ramadan Gets the American Debate He Says He Craved

The European Muslim scholar fielded tough questions at an event in New York sponsored by groups that fought to have him allowed into the United States.

New Regulations on Campus Piracy Don't Mean New Antipiracy Actions

Colleges don't seem to be changing their policies, and they may not have to.

Data Points: 10 U.S. Institutions Awarded Bachelor's Degrees in Arabic, 2007-8

In Recruiting, It’s Buyer Beware—for the Athletes, That Is

College coaches are reluctant to bring up injuries and revoked scholarships during recruiting pitches, but some lawmakers now want them to do just that.

Tips for Improving Presidential Job Reviews

The head of the Teagle Foundation says college governing boards get in trouble when just a couple of members handle the evaluation process.

Bill Clinton Urges Colleges to Strive for Solutions at Home and Abroad

Mr. Clinton, who will meet with students and university and nonprofit-group leaders this weekend, wants colleges to put an even greater emphasis on service.

Asian University Leaders, Meeting in Australia, Seek to Improve International Ties

Indian delegates pulled out of the conference after Indian students in Australia were attacked last year, but attendees urged partnerships across borders.

Interdisciplinary Courses Are Endangered by Emphasis on Credentials

"The idea of an educating, teaching faculty acting as a whole, not as a total distributed into disciplinary courses, is at stake here."

'Plight' of Independent Colleges Deserves Attention, Too

"American higher education has long been the envy of the world, in large part because of its diversity: public-private, large-small, urban-rural, church related-secular,...

How 'Achieving the Dream' Helped a Community College Make Big Gains

The national program relies on data to find innovative ways to raise graduation and transfer rates at two-year colleges.

Lessons Learned: Using Data to Help Students Pass Remedial Courses

How three colleges used statistics to help them get more students through remedial classes.

City U. of New York Plans 'a Grand Experiment'

Leaders of the institution had a radical idea: Build a new community college, one that is focused on graduation rates.

At Many 2-Year Colleges, the Humanities Hold Their Own

Despite the national focus on job training, community colleges are strengthening their liberal-arts programs.

Nice Grant if You Can Get It

The NEH offers up to $1-million for humanities programs, but few community colleges even know to apply.

Community-College Trustees: Greater Expectations

Feeling the heat from shrinking budgets and soaring enrollments, the governing boards of community colleges engage in some job-training programs of their own.

Counselors Look for Ways to Lighten Their Load

With budgets tight and schedules full, counselors at two-year colleges must get creative.

Commentary: Memorandum to Graduate Departments: Send Your Pearls to Us

A steady job at a community college? Your students could do worse.

Commentary: Community Colleges: Our Work Has Just Begun

At a conference this fall to be led by the vice president's wife, representatives of community colleges and businesses will share best practices for student success.

Commentary: Make Math a Gateway, Not a Gatekeeper

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching announces a new program for community colleges.

Commentary: With a Combined 78 Years on the Job, 2 Presidents Share What They've Learned

Eight important lessons for successful community-college leaders.

Commentary: Similarities and Differences: Our Students Learn From Both

Moving from a historically black women's university to a community college in New York City provides an instructor with new perspective.

Commentary: Can a Professor Reach 'Nice, Quiet Boneheads'?

The community-college class I'd long dreaded was before me. A newfound honesty was eventually called for.

Commentary: Why I Gave Up Teaching at a Community College

Students are not the main problem. Administrators are. Community colleges too often define themselves as glorified high schools.

When the Cupboard Is Bare, Assemble a Team to Fill It

Necessity has forced colleges to find ways to spend less while preserving quality. The volunteer spirit can be very useful in such a situation.

How Butler Won the NCAA Tournament

Duke won the game by a basket, but the reputation my small Indianapolis institution gained as a model for student-athletes is a triumph in the long term.

How Are Professors Like Cats? Let Me Count the Ways.

The question isn't whether faculty members are like cats; it's "What's wrong with that?"

English Is Not Enough

Foreign-language education creates smarter, more perceptive citizens.

Making a Reasonable Choice

Most applicants to graduate programs lack crucial information, and so do the people they turn to for advice.