In a daylong meeting broadcast online this month, David B. Ashley, the president of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, was repeatedly grilled, and then publicly demoted, during a contentious gathering of the university system's Board of Regents. The dressing-down followed months of public disputes over the conduct of Mr. Ashley's wife and…

College faculties often use votes of "no confidence" to try to push out the leaders of their institutions. Many do so, however, without giving much thought to what such a vote actually means, whether they are using it appropriately, or how it will affect their campus--and their own future. Mae Kuykendall, a professor of law at Michigan State…

The fiscal year that begins on July 1 for most colleges is expected to bring a wave of layoffs, as institutions grapple with declining state contributions, a falloff in donations, and other budget pressures. Eliminating jobs can create a number of legal pitfalls, including potential lawsuits for breach of contract or discrimination. If handled…

The president and governing board at the College of William and Mary have parted ways in an unusually public split with a deeply partisan undercurrent. Gene R. Nichol says that the Board of Visitors forced him out for defending free speech and diversity on the campus, and that he turned down a generous severance package to go quietly. Board…

This article reports that two married professors, John Moraros and Yelena Bird, whose contracts were not renewed by New Mexico State University, in what they say was a case of discrimination and retaliation, now say they are also the victims of baseless allegations of plagiarism by the university's president. Administrators at New Mexico State,…

Describes how a financial disaster involving Idaho's flagship university, its private foundation, and possible conflicts of interest has brought down a college president. (EV)

Tells the story of David C. England, whose career as community college president, has been derailed by his arrest for trafficking in marijuana. The administrator denies selling marijuana, but admits he stored and grew large quantities. (SLD)

Describes how City Colleges of Chicago is restructuring its work force by outsourcing tasks formerly done by counselors and information-technology employees. (EV)

Describes the breach-of-contract lawsuit brought by former faculty members at Mount Vernon College, Washington, DC, as a result of the takeover of the small college for women by George Washington University, which resulted in the closing of Mount Vernon and the dismissal of its faculty. (SLD)

The National Coalition for Universities in the Public Interest, an activist group that contends professors are being fired for their criticism of the "academic-industrial complex," has begun to raise money for court litigation. Action in five cases is described. (MLW)

The model contract should define the circumstances under which a coach may be fired with cause; what the university owes the coach if it fires him without cause; and what the coach owes the university if he terminates the agreement. Experiences at Clemson University and North Carolina State University are described. (MLW)

The firing of the director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia after a 20-year tenure and similar changes in other states have raised concerns that higher education policy boards face tightened political control. Some Virginia legislators feel the dismissal has left the council with little credibility, and substituted political…

Stanford University dismissed Steven Mosher from its graduate program in anthropology for "illegal and seriously unethical conduct" in the field (China). Political and ethical factors are discussed. (MLW)

"Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This May 7, 2004 issue of "Chronicle for Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "Athletics Director Caught in 2002 Resume Scandal Gets a Second Chance" (Suggs, Welch); (2) "NCAA Punishes…