This article reports that some graduate programs are switching from comprehensive qualifying exams to portfolios compiled by doctoral candidates. Five years ago the graduate program at the University of Kansas' history department was like many others--filled with small cohorts of anxious, fearful procrastinators. Doctoral students were taking an…

Albertus Magnus College (Connecticut) has addressed the problem of declining enrollment offering a bachelor's degree program compressed into three years. Three full semesters are squeezed into an academic year. The semester is shortened by two weeks, but class time is lengthened. The third semester's tuition each year is discounted. (MSE)

The 22-year-old Whitaker Foundation, the largest private supporter of biomedical engineering, will close in 2006 to avoid becoming a bureaucracy in search of a reason for being. The foundation, with assets of about $442 million, will increase payouts until 1999, then decrease them as it spends its way out of existence. About 95% of grants go to…

A record number (84,000) of United States students studied abroad for credit in 1994-95, a 10% increase over the previous year. Most were white and female. The trend is attributed to efforts to promote international education and better government and institutional policies. Over half those studying abroad attend programs of one semester or less;…

A new national survey of college fund raising practices suggests that colleges and universities are not following Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) guidelines for campaign length and donation accounting. The voluntary standards seek to build uniformity and comparability in procedures, but many institutions continue to use…

DeVry Inc., one of the nation's largest for-profit postsecondary education systems, has been aggressive and successful, expanding to 13 technical institutes in the United States and Canada. The company specializes in providing high-school graduates seeking technical jobs and older workers needing additional training with no-frills, skills-based…

Efforts to reform teacher education are widespread, but each has different priorities. Common threads include extending teacher training programs to five years, forging closer relations with public schools, emphasizing technology, and placing prospective teachers in the schools more frequently. However, faculty resistance and tight budgets inhibit…

A recent federal welfare reform law requires each state to provide basic education and job training programs, in which colleges have a major role. Areas of disagreement between state and institutions include program length, the role of proprietary schools, and funding adequacy. (MSE)

Data from a National Collegiate Athletic Association survey indicate trends in graduation rates, length of time in school, and student financial aid for men, women, minority groups, and all colleges students. Graduation rates at 298 Division I institutions for all students and for men and women athletes are presented. (MSE)

A study of long-term doctoral student persistence patterns at Cornell University (New York) indicates students are more likely to complete their degrees, and in less time, if they receive fellowships rather than research or teaching assistantships, especially if fellowships are awarded in the first year. (MSE)

Going against conventional wisdom that larger doctoral programs are better, Washington University (Missouri) has been scaling back its doctoral enrollments, recruiting more selectively, providing every student with full financial support for six years, and increasing contact between faculty and doctoral students. The new approach has brought…