This article reports that some graduate programs are switching from comprehensive qualifying exams to portfolios compiled by doctoral candidates. Five years ago the graduate program at the University of Kansas' history department was like many others--filled with small cohorts of anxious, fearful procrastinators. Doctoral students were taking an…

A new study reanalyzing previous data suggests that the widely publicized sharp increase in number of years to doctorates in the humanities is largely a statistical artifact. The new analysis finds an increase of 15 to 20 percent rather than the previously reported 38 percent in number of years to doctorate between 1972 and 1988. (DB)

Albertus Magnus College (Connecticut) has addressed the problem of declining enrollment offering a bachelor's degree program compressed into three years. Three full semesters are squeezed into an academic year. The semester is shortened by two weeks, but class time is lengthened. The third semester's tuition each year is discounted. (MSE)

The 22-year-old Whitaker Foundation, the largest private supporter of biomedical engineering, will close in 2006 to avoid becoming a bureaucracy in search of a reason for being. The foundation, with assets of about $442 million, will increase payouts until 1999, then decrease them as it spends its way out of existence. About 95% of grants go to…

A record number (84,000) of United States students studied abroad for credit in 1994-95, a 10% increase over the previous year. Most were white and female. The trend is attributed to efforts to promote international education and better government and institutional policies. Over half those studying abroad attend programs of one semester or less;…

Data on United States students studying abroad in 1994-95 include information on geographic distribution by host region and country, noting enrollment change over the previous year, program characteristics, and student characteristics. The home institutions with the highest numbers of students studying abroad are listed by type (research,…

A new national survey of college fund raising practices suggests that colleges and universities are not following Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) guidelines for campaign length and donation accounting. The voluntary standards seek to build uniformity and comparability in procedures, but many institutions continue to use…

DeVry Inc., one of the nation's largest for-profit postsecondary education systems, has been aggressive and successful, expanding to 13 technical institutes in the United States and Canada. The company specializes in providing high-school graduates seeking technical jobs and older workers needing additional training with no-frills, skills-based…

Efforts to reform teacher education are widespread, but each has different priorities. Common threads include extending teacher training programs to five years, forging closer relations with public schools, emphasizing technology, and placing prospective teachers in the schools more frequently. However, faculty resistance and tight budgets inhibit…

A recent federal welfare reform law requires each state to provide basic education and job training programs, in which colleges have a major role. Areas of disagreement between state and institutions include program length, the role of proprietary schools, and funding adequacy. (MSE)

Student characteristics of 1982-83 earned doctorate recipients include sex, racial or ethnic group, citizenship, marital status, age, years from bachelor's degree to doctorate, percentage with bachelor's degree in the same field, planned postdoctoral study and employment, primary postdoctoral work, and region of postdoctoral employment. (MSE)

Data from a National Collegiate Athletic Association survey indicate trends in graduation rates, length of time in school, and student financial aid for men, women, minority groups, and all colleges students. Graduation rates at 298 Division I institutions for all students and for men and women athletes are presented. (MSE)

Data on the characteristics of doctoral degree recipients are charted and graphed, including race, national origin (foreign students), age, program length, sex, citizenship status, planned postdoctoral study and/or employment, primary postdoctoral employment activity, and discipline group. (MSE)

A study of long-term doctoral student persistence patterns at Cornell University (New York) indicates students are more likely to complete their degrees, and in less time, if they receive fellowships rather than research or teaching assistantships, especially if fellowships are awarded in the first year. (MSE)

Data are provided on 142 college and university fund-raising campaigns, by institution type (public, private, research/doctoral, master's, liberal arts, two-year, medical centers, professional and specialized). Information includes campaign goal, beginning date, length, scope, and gift amounts (both face and present value) raised by June 30, 1995.…