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From the issue dated February 18, 2005 |
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Short SubjectsCOLD COMFORTArchitecture students designed 9 of the 32 bedrooms at a Quebec hotel that is made entirely of snow and ice. TRADEMARK TEMPEST: A member of the University of Georgia Board of Regents almost lost his position over the university's logo on a bottle of wine. PACHYDERM PROTEST: An animal-rights group warned Texas A&M; University at College Station about its annual "elephant walk," even though no elephants are actually used in the walk. 'A MORE-LASTING IMPACT': The new president of Ball State University decided to use the money for her inauguration party for scholarships, not celebrations. CULTURE WATCH: Numb3rs, a new television series, chronicles the exploits of a crime-solving mathematician. The FacultyINSIDE A FIRESTORMHow Ward Churchill's three-year-old essay sparked a national controversy. DISAGREEABLE VOICESCampuses cannot extend free speech only to the commendable or charismatic, writes Maurice Isserman, a professor of history and chairman of the American-studies program at Hamilton College. QUESTIONING THE PROMISEHas the alternative-careers movement unwittingly sold humanities Ph.D.'s yet another professional pipe dream? THE FOURTH FACTORResearch, teaching, and service are the big three factors in hiring, but there's one more criterion interviewers need to evaluate: attitude. CATTLE CALLAbout to serve on a search committee at a community college? Here are two common problems to avoid. GETTING AHEAD AT HARVARD: At Harvard, two panels have been formed that will focus on advancing the careers of women on the faculty. SYLLABUS: Getting political with Bruce Springsteen at the State University of New York College at Potsdam PEER REVIEW: A professor at Huntington College is given a deal to resign because his theological philosophy clashes with that of the United Brethren Church institution. ... The University of California system offers a top-level job to the partner of the new chancellor of the Santa Cruz campus. ... John Edwards, the former vice-presidential candidate, will lead a new center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ... The chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire is joining the administration of the university system. Research & BooksTHE PHYSICS OF TEOTIHUACÁNPhysicists help shed light on an ancient Mexican mystery. THE BUSH BUDGETThe president takes aim at student aid and research. COME AND GET ITReady or not, open-access publishing is here. Now the debate should be about the best ways to use it, write Andy Gass, a policy analyst, and Helen Doyle, a director of development and strategic alliances, at the Public Library of Science. CENTURY OF SYNTHESIS: Ernst Mayr, a biologist who made important connections between evolution and genetics, has died at 100. HOT TYPE: At the University of Iowa, the press breathes a sigh of relief as budget cuts are smaller than expected, and the Writers' Workshop is looking at four finalists in its quest for a new director. IN BRIEF: A paper suggests that certain fields of knowledge go unstudied because scientists do not want to become associated with controversial issues. ... The NIH asks scientists whose research it has financed to post their papers online as soon as possible. ... According to the American Sociological Association, a proposal by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics would result in the loss of important information about female workers. ... As Boston University awaits approval for its planned Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, it discloses that three researchers were sickened last year by the bacterium they were studying. NOTA BENE: In Home on the Rails, a Clark University historian explores the role of women and train travel in the rise of "public domesticity." VERBATIM: Carolyn J. Dean, a historian at Brown University, discusses her new book, The Fragility of Empathy After the Holocaust. COPYRIGHT CONCERNS FOR GOOGLE: Google's ambitious plans to scan millions of library volumes and make them searchable could run afoul of copyright laws, some publishing groups say. Government & PoliticsTHE BUSH BUDGETThe president takes aim at student aid and research. GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS: The White House plan proposes an increase for Pell Grants but would eliminate 48 Education Department programs. WAR WITHOUT ENDThe military's use of depleted uranium and toxins such as Agent Orange has turned "smart wars" into eternal ecological battles, writes Rob Nixon, the Rachel Carson Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. STATEHOUSE DIGEST: A plan by Virginia lawmakers would grant the state's public colleges more operating flexibility. ... Michigan's governor wants to replace the state's merit-based program of college scholarships. ... To lift enrollment at Ohio colleges, the governor wants to increase financial aid to students. ... Domestic partners of University of Wisconsin employees would get insurance benefits under a proposal by the state's governor. ... Connecticut's governor calls for a tuition freeze. ... A Georgia lawmaker wants recipients of the state's merit-based Hope Scholarships to foot their own tuition bills for extra classes. ... Virginia's House of Delegates has given initial approval to legislation aimed at holding down the price of textbooks. OUT OF COMMITTEE: A bill to expand a federal program for job training at community colleges has moved forward. SETTLEMENT AT PENN: The University of Pennsylvania has settled with the government over the death of an 18-year-old participant in a gene-therapy study. 'THE INVESTMENT PAYOFF': States benefit from higher education, a study has found. Money & ManagementA MIND OF HIS OWNThe new president of the United Negro College Fund wants to involve the group more intimately in the operations of its member institutions. PUBLIC PROSPECTS: The Iowa State University Foundation must allow its records to be public, but it may get to decide which ones, a state court has ruled. HOW THEY GOT THAT GIFT: A personalized DVD moved the entertainer Johnny Carson to give $5.3-million last fall to restore a building where he once studied at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. GIVE & TAKE: The loss of accreditation at Edward Waters College prompts the president's departure. ... Students may not raise money for military snipers at Marquette University. ... Hundreds of homeless people are moving onto the campus at Seattle University. ... At the University of Montana, a renovation project has run afoul of the local historic-preservation committee. MIXED PREDICTIONS: New reports by Moody's and Standard & Poor's predict that colleges and universities will continue to face financial challenges. DOCTORS' ORDERS: The College of Medicine at Florida State University has received full accreditation after operating for several years with provisional approval. ABSOLUTE POWER? The interim chancellor of the Nevada higher-education system asks for, and receives, the power to fire presidents. PEER REVIEW: A professor at Huntington College is given a deal to resign because his theological philosophy clashes with that of the United Brethren Church institution. ... The University of California system offers a top-level job to the partner of the new chancellor of the Santa Cruz campus. ... John Edwards, the former vice-presidential candidate, will lead a new center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ... The chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire is joining the administration of the university system. Information TechnologyDEGREES OF PROTECTIONMore and more colleges are offering online courses to help students prevent and respond to terror attacks and other possible disasters. COME AND GET ITReady or not, open-access publishing is here. Now the debate should be about the best ways to use it, write Andy Gass, a policy analyst, and Helen Doyle, a director of development and strategic alliances, at the Public Library of Science. E-TOKE OVER THE LINE: A new online program anonymously tells students how their marijuana habits compare with those of other students. BUDGETS REMAIN TIGHT: Information-technology spending by American colleges will slump by 4 percent in the current academic year, a report estimates. COPYRIGHT CONCERNS FOR GOOGLE: Google's ambitious plans to scan millions of library volumes and make them searchable could run afoul of copyright laws, some publishing groups say. ROADBLOCK: The University of Pennsylvania says it is unable to identify purported file sharers in response to a subpoena. StudentsSPECIAL ED TO HIGHER EDStudents with mental retardation are knocking on college doors. The University of Southern Maine and other institutions are responding. THE BUSH BUDGETThe president takes aim at student aid and research. GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS: The White House plan proposes an increase for Pell Grants but would eliminate 48 Education Department programs. DEGREES OF PROTECTIONMore and more colleges are offering online courses to help students prevent and respond to terror attacks and other possible disasters. ON-THE-JOB STRAININGCollege graduates are ill prepared for the workplace, and colleges are partly responsible, writes Mel Levine, a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Medical School. 'CINDERELLA BILL': If a Texas lawmaker gets his way, young adults in his state may have to wait until seven hours after their 21st birthday to legally imbibe their celebratory drinks. 'RIPOFF 101': Students are overcharged for textbooks, says a study from the State Public Interest Research Groups. POOR PREPARATION: Many students graduate from high school without the skills needed for either college or work, a study finds. AthleticsATHLETICS DIRECTOR FOR LIFE?J. Frank Broyles has led the sports program at the University of Arkansas since 1973, and he intends to keep going, problems notwithstanding. NCAA WATCHDOG'S TOP DOG: The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics has named the president of Wake Forest University as its new chairman. MEDICAL ALERT: The University of Washington has fired its head athletics trainer for falsifying information to keep an athlete eligible. InternationalTHE PHYSICS OF TEOTIHUACÁNPhysicists help shed light on an ancient Mexican mystery. DUSK AT AUSCHWITZOn the 60th anniversary of the camp's liberation, Deborah E. Lipstadt, a professor of modern Jewish and Holocaust studies at Emory University, considers the chilling ironies of her VIP treatment. Notes From AcademeNO GUTS, NO CREDITTo succeed in the forensic-science program at West Virginia University, it helps to have sharp wits, good eyes, and a strong stomach. The Chronicle ReviewDUSK AT AUSCHWITZOn the 60th anniversary of the camp's liberation, Deborah E. Lipstadt, a professor of modern Jewish and Holocaust studies at Emory University, considers the chilling ironies of her VIP treatment. WAR WITHOUT ENDThe military's use of depleted uranium and toxins such as Agent Orange has turned "smart wars" into eternal ecological battles, writes Rob Nixon, the Rachel Carson Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. ON-THE-JOB STRAININGCollege graduates are ill prepared for the workplace, and colleges are partly responsible, writes Mel Levine, a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Medical School. COME AND GET ITReady or not, open-access publishing is here. Now the debate should be about the best ways to use it, write Andy Gass, a policy analyst, and Helen Doyle, a director of development and strategic alliances, at the Public Library of Science. STARTING FROM SCRATCHNo building, no faculty members, and no students. Welcome to my institute, writes Garrick Utley, who worked nearly 40 years as a broadcast journalist for NBC, ABC, and CNN. MORAL INSTINCTSFor Krzysztof Kieslowski's characters, freedom's just another name for nothing left to lose, writes Thomas S. Hibbs, a professor of ethics and culture at Baylor University. SEXING THE KITCHENCookbooks of the postwar era reinforced traditional gender roles in untraditional ways. DISAGREEABLE VOICESCampuses cannot extend free speech only to the commendable or charismatic, writes Maurice Isserman, a professor of history and chairman of the American-studies program at Hamilton College. MELANGE: Selections from books of interest to academe. Letters to the EditorChronicle CareersQUESTIONING THE PROMISEHas the alternative-careers movement unwittingly sold humanities Ph.D.'s yet another professional pipe dream? THE FOURTH FACTORResearch, teaching, and service are the big three factors in hiring, but there's one more criterion interviewers need to evaluate: attitude. CATTLE CALLAbout to serve on a search committee at a community college? Here are two common problems to avoid. 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