As Pathways Programs Catch On in North America, Colleges See Successes for International Students

Called pathway programs, support projects are seeing success in preparing foreign students for universities in the United States.

Golden Gate U. Instructs Foreign Students in the Language of Business

Its 10-year-old program for applicants who need extra help with English is similar to the pathways just being developed by some other U.S. colleges.

To Justify Every 'A,' Some Professors Hand Over Grading Power to Outsiders

Western Governors U. has professors teach while hidden adjuncts grade; the U. of Central Florida has computers score some essay tests.

Can Software Make the Grade?

Want Data? Ask Students. Again and Again

Accountability requires information, and nothing shows effectiveness better than an online survey of students. But enticing them to respond—that's the trick.

Emeritus Status: It's a Matter of Honor, Especially When It's Denied

With the average age of the professoriate ticking upward, colleges are gauging just how best to relate to their retired faculty.

Debt Deal May Offer Only Temporary Reprieve for Student-Aid Programs

The bill's spending caps and the remaining shortfall in the Pell Grant program could force Congress to make more cuts to federal funds for students.

Charitable Deduction Could Be Under Threat in Coming Deficit-Panel Talks

Though the federal debt deal left the deductions that benefit many colleges intact for now, changes could be in store as a Congressional panel identifies further cuts.

Rogue Downloader's Arrest Could Mark Crossroads for Open-Access Movement

To charge, or not to charge: That is the question Aaron Swartz, accused of abusing MIT's computer network, has brought to the forefront of debate in scholarly publishing.

A Database Named Desire

Two neuroscientists decided to update the Kinsey report with a study of people's sex-related searches on the Internet. The results have aroused some observers.

In Partnership With IBM, U. of Melbourne Puts Computing Power to Global Problems

The arrrangement, part of a larger research effort by the computer company, is a case study in "deep internationalization," one expert says.

Columbia Professor Broadens Access to an Ancient Indian Language

Sheldon Pollock has put his money from an award toward offering underprivileged students fellowships to study Sanskrit.

5 Minutes With an Economist Who Studies the Impact of Early Primaries

The Brown University economist says the influence of the earliest voters far outweighs that of the late ones.

A Professor Helps Raise a Library in His Native Zambia

Virginians give the gift of reading to a Bridgewater College professor's home village.

Selected New Books on Higher Education

A selection of new books of interest in higher education.

An Era in Ideas

Influential thinkers including Steven Pinker, Terry Eagleton, Martha C. Nussbaum, and Todd Gitlin reflect on the meaning of the September 11 attacks, then and now.

Where Are All the Islamic Terrorists?

The three-dozen deaths caused by Islamic terrorism in the U.S. since September 11, 2001, are a small fraction of the violence the country experiences every year.

Archiving a September Day

Columbia University's Center for Oral History began documenting the September 11 attacks one day later.

'It Was Not a Dream'

Amid the mayhem of 9/11, incomprehension was the only rational response.

Cracking Criminality

The Use and Abuse of Dangerous Ideas

The Philosophy of Neurophilosophy

The Self-Exam That Higher Education Would Rather Not Conduct

In a scholarly community supposedly devoted to freewheeling inquiry, it's distressing to find so many issues—ever-rising tuition, for example—off the table.

The World Without Scholars: A Fable for Our Time

Here's a scenario of what might happen if budget cutters decide that humanities research is expendable.

Why Flagship Public Universities Should Stay Public

Flagships have money, talent, and acclaim. They need to do more to help the regional public universities and community colleges most students attend.

Why Should Professors Not Be Accountable?

"Accountability is the point, and professors do not like the concept no matter who does the adding up—even those paying the bills."

Oppenheimer's Advice on Boycotts: Don't

"For any of us who are tempted to support academic boycotts, please consider carefully the advice given by J. Robert Oppenheimer."

When It'll Never Be a Good Fit

What's the real question you should ask yourself as a job seeker on the academic market?