Describes how a growing number of top business schools, after years of trying to outdo one another, are joining forces in various academic programs. An example is the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, which has created a West-coast campus and partnership with INSEAD in France. Discusses how such partnerships present special problems.…

Describes how Harvard University exceeded its goals in its recently completed five-year fund-raising campaign. Notes emphasis on appeals based on societal problems and teamwork by the institution's various colleges. Includes a table comparing 21 recent or ongoing billion-dollar capital campaigns. (DB)

Compares the distance education model of Western Governors University, which offers online instruction and degrees and competes with existing colleges, with that of Southern Regional Education Board's Electronic Campus, which offers students easy access to online courses offered by participating colleges. Notes that the SREB model has been more…

Reports on the initial steps and leadership of a new for-profit Web site, Fathom, established by Columbia University and five other institutions, that will market distance-education courses and academic texts. Discusses challenges in integrating the entrepreneurial spirit of the Internet with the university's core values. Reviews the career of the…

The creation of a postgraduate University of Europe, to be based in Paris but linking new courses offered by a consortium of existing universities in several countries, is being proposed by a group of French faculty members and administrators. (MLW)

Discusses how professional schools, faced with a shortage of students and an increased demand for cross-disciplinary training, are teaming up to offer joint degrees. Examples include joint medical and business degrees, joint social work and law degrees, and joint medical and law degrees. (EV)

More than 100 colleges and universities have arranged to give people using the Google Scholar search engine on their campuses more-direct access to library materials. Google Scholar is a free tool that searches scholarly materials on the Web and in academic databases. The new arrangements essentially let Google know which online databases the…

The annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is discussed. Collaboration among and within universities, schools, teacher organizations, and public agencies are seen as the key to educational reform. The goal is the improvement of some aspect of teacher education, research, or schooling. (MLW)

The movement to create "academic alliances" of high-school and college teachers is discussed. The alliances owe much of their strength to the increased sense of self-esteem and the pleasure that members find in the company of disciplinary colleagues. A directory of some alliances is included. (MLW)

The Real Estate Investment Trust, a companion organization to the Common Trust, allows colleges to commit as little as $50,000 for investments in commercial properties at minimum risk, which could protect endowments while providing returns comparable to those of the stock market. (MSE)

EDUCOM, a consortium of more than 500 colleges and universities involved in computing, favors the establishment of a review process that would help professors identify useful computer programs and promote the recognition of software development as a scholarly activity worthy of credit toward tenure and promotion. (MLW)

Some conclusions reached by colleges that participated in one of the regional workshops being sponsored by three U.S. agencies on substance-abuse and traffic-safety programs in higher education are discussed. More colleges have moved from punitive to educational measures in dealing with students who violate substance-abuse rules. (MLW)

A report by the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges predicts a skill shortage, born of the mismatch between the needs of the labor market and the profile of the labor pool. A plan to enhance the future of minority students in higher education is outlined. (MLW)

The following cooperative programs, cited in the Carnegie Foundation's report on American secondary education, have been undertaken by colleges and universities: (1) Johns Hopkins University, through its Center for the Advancement of Academically Talented Youth, offers gifted students the opportunity to take university courses; (2) Kenyon…

Describes a new undergraduate minor at Emory University (Georgia) that focuses on the causes and consequences of violence through interdisciplinary courses, campus programs, and community service. Undergraduates study the causes and consequences of violence from the viewpoints of more than a dozen disciplines. (DB)