Because of their special mission, colleges and universities have unique patent concerns that warrant detailed exploration, particularly regarding ownership of patent rights on inventions developed on campus under federal contracts and grants. Rights and concerns of the inventor, the university, and financial sponsors are outlined. (Author/LBH)

Innovative arrangements for collaboration between universities and industrial firms are discussed, and benefits for each sector are identified. Problems inherent in these relationships because academe's and industry's values and expectations differ significantly are described. (MLW)

New York's Court of Claims found the State University of New York College at Buffalo liable for monetary damages as a result of the off-campus death of an adult student. The American Council on Education has filed an amicus curiae brief in support of SUNY, Buffalo. (MLW)

A new bill, H. R. 1984, a comprehensive legislative approach to privacy issues, would regulate the uses and sources, retention, storage, and handling of personal information in private industry--including colleges and universities. The author explores the issues applicable to higher education and makes proposals that reflect its concerns.…

Litigants in actions involving faculty members in higher education often cite AAUP policies to support their cases. Institutions are urged to examine and, where necessary, to clarify relationships between AAUP policy documents and the institutions' own policies. (Author/LBH)

The legal situation of a college being sued by a group of students following elimination of a graduate program is outlined and analyzed in terms of other related court litigation, the possible directions of the case, and the college's possible legal defenses. (MSE)

The main factor in determining the seriousness of offensive speech should not be the group that is offended, but whether harassment or discrimination, legally defined, results. Colleges have an obligation to teach students how to analyze the surrounding society and determine how their actions reflect and are reflected in that society. (MSE)

In the view of the ACE Commission on Academic Affairs, the recently adopted revision of Regulation 4 ("Termination of Appointments") of the AAUP do not provide reliable guidance regarding (1) the definition of financial exigency, (2) rule-setting for institutional behavior, and (3) other provisions included in the regulation that could…

The hidden but serious problem of sexual harassment of students and employees by college faculty is discussed, some statistics are given, and legal and court opinions outlined. Harassment as a violation of Title IX is analyzed, and implications for institutional action to curb it are outlined. (MSE)

Analyzes the implications of recent court decisions concerning faculty/institution relations on retrenchment, layoff and termination. (Editor/PG)

An overview of recent court cases concerning dismissal of tenured college faculty for reasons of financial exigency focuses on court definitions of exigency, criteria for "just cause" for termination, due process requirements, reemployment, compensation for wrongful termination, and legal requirements that constitute "good…

Opinions are offered regarding: Is it ever proper to consider the race of an applicant, among other attributes? If so, why, and in what ways? Are there significant distinctions to be drawn between the use of quotas and other approaches to the recruitment of minority students? (Author/LBH)

Through the requirements of Title IX and of various sports organizations, enforced by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the courts, the external regulation of intercollegiate sports is a salient fact of college and university existence. The legal basis for regulation and some examples of enforcement are examined. (JMD)

Academic freedom, federal regulation, and government interference are examined and put into historical perspective. Objective and practical suggestions are offered for improving the way regulations are written and enforced. (Editor/LBH)

The principal legal relationships that a public institution of higher education encounters in connection with its athletics programs include its relationships to student athletes, to athletic regulatory associations, and to the federal government. Court characterizations of these relationships and their implications are reviewed. (JMD)