Iraqi Universities Reach a Crossroads

The government cites ambitious plans for reforming the country's war-ravaged system, but professors say sectarian politics may get in the way.

Preventing Suicide on Campus May Mean Fences and Nets as Well as Counseling

Limiting access to some methods of suicide, a strategy known as means restriction, is gaining support among mental-health researchers.

Accreditation Eyed as a Means to Aid Adjuncts

Many experts say that routinely incorporating standards of support for nontenured faculty into institutional reviews isn't likely to happen soon.

Basketball Draws Shrinking Crowds in Many Big Programs

A Chronicle analysis shows that about one out of every five Division 1 programs has seen attendance fall by 20 percent or more.

Table: Midlevel Administrators' Pay Increases Slightly

The 2-percent median increase matched the gain seen by senior administrators and was just higher than the 1.9-percent increase for faculty, says a new report.

NIH Courts Younger Researchers, Even as It Debates How Far to Go

A "huge debate" is taking place inside the agency over whether to help new scientists or let merit rule, an official says.

A Retired Professor's Research Rankings Get Universities' Attention

Many universities cite the statistics, even though the NIH abandoned the compilation of such measurements as an unreliable indicator of quality.

'Social-Media Blasphemy': An Academic Adds 'Enemy' Feature to Facebook

An application that allows Facebook users to "enemy" people is meant to make us think critically about social media, its creators say.

MIT Chief Says Her Departure Is Not Driven by Fund-Raising Fatigue

Susan Hockfield's resignation illustrates how closely the terms of university presidencies are tied to campaign cycles.

Antioch U.'s New Chancellor Comes by Way of New York Times Company

Felice Nudelman was the company's executive director of education and worked with colleges across the country in that role.

Tennessee State Professor Breaks Bread With the First Family

Robert F. Newkirk, a biology professor at Tennesee State, had dinner with Barack and Michelle Obama after his daughter won the president's Dinner With Barack contest.

Geometer Tries a New Angle: Leading a Small Honors College

Donal O'Shea, who is the chief academic officer at a women's college, will become president of New College of Florida, a public liberal-arts institution.

Tougher Rules on Loans May Hurt American Students Looking to Study Abroad

Changes in federal student-loan regulations could make it difficult for American students to use their aid at foreign institutions.

A Meeting of Minds on How to Improve the Business Major

An Aspen Institute event brought together deans and professors from a range of disciplines to talk about how the liberal arts can enrich business curricula.

As Student Interest in Law Schools Drops, ABA Moves to Tighten Accrediting Standard

The number of Law School Admission Tests administered this year declined by 16.2 percent, the largest fall in more than a decade.

U. of Illinois President Resigns in Wake of Faculty Criticism

Michael J. Hogan, whose leadership style and policies were widely unpopular among professors, was in office for less than two years.

New Policy Places Greater Consumer Protections on Student Health Plans

Insurers must phase out caps on coverage, adjust their profit margins, and bar the plans from excluding students based on pre-existing medical conditions.

Sympathy for the Bully

Scholars who study bias and bullying are more than a little ambivalent about the conviction of Dharun Ravi

Freshman Composition Is Not Teaching Key Skills in Analysis, Researchers Argue

Students enter college thinking they know how to do research, but they don't. And freshman comp isn't really helping, according to a new study.

U. of California TV Station Will Develop Original Content for YouTube

In exchange for a $300,000 grant to the station to produce the videos, YouTube will try to recoup its investment through advertising.

Selected New Books on Higher Education

Big Philanthropy's Role in Higher Education

Megafoundations used to be quiet giants. Now they're noisy activists, shaping policy and politics.

Israel's Moral Peril

Its creation was meant as a rebuke to hatred and intolerance. That it is losing that moral advantage isn't just a crime, it's a tragedy.

Authority Figures

The printed Encyclopaedia Britannica has given way to the democratic digital age, right? Hmm. Let's ask Wikipedia.

Tuning In to the Voice of God

When God talks to evangelical Christians, a Stanford anthropologist listens in.

Accordion File

Once upon a time, the squeezebox reigned supreme. A new book traces its cultural history in America.

Engaging Edifices

Campus buildings shouldn’t just contain; they should inspire.

The End of the American Century

Generation Me on Trial

The Tyler Clementi case highlights several distressing trends rippling through American youth culture, including a lack of empathy.

How to Protect Your Students From Cyberbullying

In the wake of the Rutgers case, three areas to focus on.

For Science Ph.D.'s, There Is No One True Path

Too many young researchers are made to feel worthless because of their desire to leave academic science.

Is Anyone Teaching Teachers of Science?

"Shouldn't college-level STEM faculty be required to complete formal pedagogical training as a condition of employment and/or tenure?"

The Lecture May Be Irreplaceable After All

"The lecture may not always be the most effective means, but it is very often the most efficient."

Good Deeds That Are Most Punished, Part 2: Service

When are your service commitments adequate, and when have you taken on too much?