This article is the third in an occasional series on how colleges have tackled some of the basic challenges of internationalizing their campuses. Tufts University has long been an internationally focused institution. Yet in one area it has, until recently, been sorely lacking. Like many universities, Tufts made little attempt to connect with…

Congress passed legislation last week that would shield students and other consumers from sudden spikes in interest rates and fees, but that could make it harder for young people to access credit to pay for college. The legislation would extend broad new consumer protections to all credit-card holders, offering special protections to college…

Blue State Digital, the company that helped catapult Barack Obama into the White House, is courting colleges. Some are welcoming the political rainmaker inside their wrought-iron gates. But some skeptics question whether what works in the digital war room of a political campaign can translate into the academic arena. The world of college fund…

Trying to emulate the popularity of Web sites like Facebook and MySpace, hundreds of college alumni associations have begun to offer their own online social networks, seeking to stake a claim on the computer screens of current and former students, especially young alumni. Many of the sites have struggled to attract alumni and to keep them…

This article reports on Wittenberg University's different approach to reach alumni by sending three young graduates on a 2008 version of the classic college road trip. Armed with air mattresses, laptops, and a video camera, the three young graduates drive cross-country to help the university reconnect with alumni. Over three weeks, they would stop…

When the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) ended a $3-billion campaign in December, the effort was known as a success not only because of its large goal, but also because of the high participation by alumni. Three out of every 10 alumni made a donation, accounting for 22 percent of the total take. Now the institution faces the…

Describes how Mount Holyoke College and its alumnae association are in a messy public fight over money, specifically who owns an annual fund to which 51 percent of the college's alumni contributed last year. (EV)

Hamilton College has developed an imaginative program for young alumni that organizes activities geared to young adults' tastes and interests. Since its establishment, the college has had large increases in giving by this group. Nationwide, other colleges are raising substantial funds by targeting young graduates. (MSE)

College alumni associations are providing graduates with such electronic services as bulletin boards, computer mailing lists, online alumni magazines and newsletters, alumni forums on commercial networks, and electronic mail addresses. Other anticipated uses of the technology include fund raising, classes offered on networks, electronic bookstore…

Predominantly white colleges have had mixed results in efforts to raise money among minority alumni. Poor response to programs among this group is attributed to alienation because of campus racial incidents, limited family resources or heavier financial obligations, and resentment of their alma maters. (MSE)

Increasingly, colleges are offering affinity credit cards with attractive incentives as a marketing tool. Some in academe feel the trend may compromise educational objectives. Institutions may also face taxation on unrelated-business income generated through the cards. (MSE)

A recent Supreme Court ruling that Mississippi's colleges are segregated and should consider mergers of predominantly white and historically black colleges has put pressure on black college alumni groups to help keep their institutions alive as an educational option. The Black College Alumni Leadership Consortium is establishing a political action…

In light of recent debate over the censorship of articles, college alumni publications editors are seeking to establish professional guidelines for publication content and clearer lines of authority within institutional administration. They feel alumni magazines should be interesting and reflect current issues on campus, even when controversial.…

A study that was the first systematic attempt to develop guidelines for comparing college fund-raising costs was conducted by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the National Association of College and University Business Officers. The figures in the study cover the period 1986-88. (MLW)

Statistics showing that the U.S. Hispanic population is getting larger and wealthier have altered perceptions that this is a community in need. College officials, particularly in states with large Hispanic populations, are courting Hispanic business owners and establishing networks through Hispanic alumni groups. However, some fear that…