Many scientists and policymakers are urging the federal government to set priorities for the scientific projects the government should support, but few can agree on how those priorities should be determined or on how much say researchers should have in the process. (MLW)

Educators in the field of English are concerned about teaching a student population that increasingly expects to be entertained and cannot tolerate boredom. Concerns include reliance on print-oriented teaching methods, changed language needs, research and teaching innovations, and needed changes in the educational structure and resources to meet…

Congress made significant revisions in the methods used to evaluate families' income and college expenses to decide how much aid students should receive. Administrators say that needy students will receive less aid next year, although some students who do not need more aid will be eligible for it. (MLW)

The discipline of geography has become fragmented by narrow specialization and its boundaries blurred by overlap with neighboring disciplines. Suggestions for reorienting research include increased collaborative projects, more attention to environmental issues, and reemphasis on regional geography. (MSE)

While the scholarly interest in philanthropy is growing, there remains concern about the difficulty of accomplishing serious study of the phenomenon because of the nature of grants and research funding. (MSE)

Private organizations and state governments are increasingly seeking out businesses with training needs they cannot fulfill themselves and finding community colleges willing to set up flexible retraining programs quickly. (MSE)

Observers say the research effort to develop drugs to combat acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is increasingly well-funded but badly coordinated, with many universities not willing or not able to pull their weight. (MSE)

A survey found the most selective colleges were most likely to require or recommend student ownership of microcomputers, specify the brand, offer purchase discounts, and have a low ratio of students, faculty, and staff to each microcomputer. It also gathered information on microcomputer ownership, access, software, assistance, and illegal use.…

Campus construction is projected to boom as colleges and universities catch up on deferred maintenance and replace outdated classrooms and laboratories. Severe problems identified include roofs, heating systems, asbestos removal, and electical systems. (LB)

Despite the complexity of current financial aid application forms, federal officials want to stabilize the process of assessing financial need and are not likely to simplify the forms soon. (MSE)

Two years ago, a study led by Peter H. Rossi found that 7,000 people were without homes in Chicago at some time in the course of a year. An expanded version of that study recommends changes in state and national policies affecting the homeless. (MLW)

Higher education must find ways to address some of the most pressing problems facing American society and forge a new partnership with government and the private sector to solve them, according to Harvard President Bok. It should take responsibility for needed research regardless of outside support. (MSE)

A few U.S.programs pair college students with elderly residents in the community, solving two pressing problems of college communities: lack of affordable housing for students and lack of affordable care for older people. (MSE)

An interagency committee recommends more university and industry involvement in efforts to stop the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and find a cure, and encourages increased federal funding and assurances that funding will be ongoing for both basic biological and AIDS research. (MSE)

The growth of women's studies is an American higher education success story, but now scholars are confronting the questions and dilemmas that come with the field's maturity, including debate over the concept of gender and over the acceptance of white, middle class women as the universal standard of womanhood. (MSE)