A growing number of colleges are financing development of housing communities for their alumni. Benefits accrue to the institution, the academic community, and the retirees, who are often encouraged to participate in campus life. However, college involvement in financing and promoting retirement communities is controversial. (MSE)

A growing number of colleges and universities are using housing-assistance plans to recruit faculty. Programs range from offering affordable on-campus condominiums to lending money for a house down payment. Faculty recruitment in the 1990s is predicted to be heavily competitive. (MSE)

In an effort to diversify their investments, colleges are pouring money into hotels, shopping centers, research parks, and apartment buildings. Institutional involvement in real estate takes a variety of forms, some considered risky, and has resulted in both profit and public-relations problems. (MSE)