A series of unprecedented scandals has eroded confidence in big-time sports, increasing the appetite for change. Some critics have a tough time seeing the NCAA as a savior; they say the real problem is the NCAA structure itself, which allows athletes to generate billions of dollars for colleges while earning no compensation themselves. Mark A.…

This article discusses Sundar Kumarasamy and how he is remaking the rituals of recruitment at the University of Dayton. For years Sundar Kumarasamy walked through the lobby of the University of Dayton's admissions building and daydreamed about changing every inch of the place. Mr. Kumarasamy, the university's vice president for enrollment…

"Doing well by doing good" is the business mantra of the for-profit-college industry. But one does not have to look far to find people who question the slogan's sincerity or the very legitimacy of that model. And that was even before reports of some companies' abusive student-recruiting practices and questionable educational standards fed a public…

By most accounts, the position of German studies in the American academy is no longer secure. To a large extent, that is due to reasons beyond the control of individual faculty or departments, including the general crisis faced by the humanities and the diminished importance in the eyes of the public of literary criticism, a vital part of the…

While most of the national focus following charges of child sex abuse at Pennsylvania State University has centered on its coaches and administrators, the scandal has reached deep into the professoriate as well. Responding to constant questions has taken an emotional toll on the university's faculty members, who have been asked by neighbors,…

College sports is a billion-dollar enterprise whose leaders pride themselves on taking care of athletes. But lately many institutions have lost that focus. Broad proposals to change the game have historically fallen short. But what if the focus is narrowed, reorganizing around the needs of students? This article presents five ideas for doing that:…

The American Association of University Professors is back on track after the financial and organizational derailments it endured over the past three years. That was the message the group's leadership reiterated throughout the business portion of the association's 95th annual meeting in June 2009. The overall meeting was attended by about 230…

The author interviews Muriel A. Howard, president of the State University of New York College at Buffalo, who is set to become the first black leader of any of the "big six" higher-education associations in Washington. She was named last week as the new president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Ms. Howard,…

The faculty workplace has changed significantly in the last 20 years: More women, minority professors, and adjuncts have joined the professoriate. Information technology has led to new opportunities and expectations. The economic crisis has complicated long-term planning for scholars and institutions alike. Seven scholars from several fields and…

This article reports that a pair of university presidents is among the people feeling the heat from the collapse of the investment bank Bear Stearns. Henry S. Bienen, president of Northwestern University, and the Rev. Donald J. Harrington, president of St. John's University, in New York, were among the 12 members of the Bear Stearns Companies'…

Colleges are fond of issuing proclamations filled with ambitious goals. So Clemson University was hardly charting new territory in 2001 when its Board of Trustees endorsed 27 goals to make it a top-20 public research university. Less than two years later, Clemson achieved one of those benchmarks by exceeding $100-million per year in research…

When the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) held its annual meeting in Washington, in mid-June, some members called the gathering the most crucial in the group's 93-year history. On the last day of the meeting, members overwhelmingly approved a restructuring plan that could resolve longstanding problems, which include declining…

Officials at Villa Julie College marvel at how quickly the institution's transformation took place, from serving commuters to becoming a much more residential campus. As recently as the 2003-2004 academic year, Villa Julie, located in an affluent suburb of Baltimore, was leasing off-campus apartments to house more than 300 students because zoning…

Of all the Islamic universities in Sudan, none has a more controversial, and complicated history than the country's International University of Africa. The university traces its political roots to a 1989 military coup that brought to power an Islamist regime with ideological ambitions for the region. The institution began as the International…

Colleges and universities are increasingly spending resources to become more global. For more than 20 years, the author has participated in, or served as a consultant to, the internationalization efforts of a broad range of institutions--research universities, regional state universities, private liberal-arts colleges, and community colleges--and…