With the help of Wayne State University, facelifts of a handful of old buildings, many of them once at the heart of the automotive industry, are leading the way in the revitalization of one small corner of Detroit. Building by building, block by block, the university is gradually helping to transform an area that was, until very recently, known…

As the nation's economy began to sputter early last year, two areas proved resilient to the cutback in Americans' spending: luxury goods and college degrees. By the end of 2008, however, luxury stores had recorded the greatest decline in sales of any retail-chain category. Optimistic college presidents believe they will be spared a drastic…

In July, when energy prices were sky-high and some pundits were predicting a continued rise, Charles Riordan, facilities director at Loyola College of Maryland, and his colleagues locked in a chunk of their electricity prices--about a quarter of the college's consumption--to cover the next two years. Now that energy prices have fallen, the…

In what some are calling a peaceful revolution, researchers have mounted a takeover of high-energy-physics publishing. One signature at a time, national research agencies and university libraries have pledged to support a radical new system that would replace expensive subscriptions to leading journals with membership in a nonprofit group. The new…

Cornell University professors, trustees, and alumni recently convened to consider whether rising costs threaten the notion that higher education can help anyone in America succeed. The exclusive Cornell Club may have seemed a venue at odds with the sober tone of the discussion. According to economics professor and higher education expert Ronald G.…

Economic storms historically have prompted more adults to seek shelter in the classroom. But this time around, two-year colleges and private for-profit institutions are especially optimistic about attracting more students--and many of those older students will probably take courses online, according to one of the authors of a recent survey. The…

In his book titled "Unequal Democracy: The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age," Larry M. Bartels wrote that "the familiar image of a party system transformed by Republican gains among working-class cultural conservatives turns out to be largely mythical." According to Bartels, who is director of Princeton's Center for the Study of Democratic…

The economic outlook may be sour for Wall Street's investment banks and for homeowners who took out mortgages they could not really afford, but campus planners and architects say that--so far, at least--colleges' construction plans are largely unaffected by the downturn. Some colleges, in fact, are trying to speed up projects to limit the damage…

The still-unfolding economic crisis is bigger, more fundamental, and for good or ill, transformational for all of society. Yet the reaction in higher education has been, for the most part, strikingly timid. The timidity could be especially harmful considering all the challenges colleges already face, including the coming demographic shifts in the…

The results of an annual national survey of state appropriations for higher education are analyzed and discussed and it is suggested that the 16 percent increase in a two-year period may mark the beginning of a recovery for tax support of higher education. (MSE)

Tuition and required fees have climbed at double-digit rates in public colleges and universities for the first time in nearly a decade, reflecting financial hardships over the last year. Prospects for improvement this year are bleak. The slower rise of private college rates is attributed to retrenchment and competitive pressures. (MSE)

A study examined the effectiveness of the four major programs providing humanities research fellowships: National Endowment for the Humanities, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, American Council of Learned Societies, and National Humanities Center. Results show declining resources to support the work of individual scholars in the…

College officials attribute current low state support for higher education to a worsening national economy, and predict continued cost cutting and increased tension between public and private sectors. Trends also appear to be regional. Detailed data on state appropriations, including a ranking, are included. (MSE)

Increases in tuition around the country range from five percent to eight percent this fall, but will probably slow next year. Public and private colleges give different reasons for the increases. (MSE)

Colleges have raised their expectations about the kind of contributions they can attract from individuals, paying particular attention to "ultimate gifts" that an individual can make only once in a lifetime. Recent successful fund-raising is also due in part to improved college fund-raising capabilities. (MSE)