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From the issue dated April 20, 2007 |
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Short SubjectsREADER, BEWAREWhat is the opposite of the Bible? Of Middlemarch? Of the Basic Writings of Nietzsche? Find out, from the Unsuggester. IDLE MISCHIEF: An instructor in television studies at Illinois's College of Du Page runs a Web site that seeks to turn American Idol's voting system upside down. BACK TO SCHOOL: A former editor at Spy magazine has started a one-day college program for adults. STUDY IN SATISFACTION: Seriously, researchers at Claremont Graduate University start a program in positive psychology. YOU'RE GETTING WARMER ... : The results of our contest for the silliest arguments against the UN's report on climate change. The FacultyHIGHER PAY, BIGGER GAPSFaculty salaries have beaten inflation for the first time in three years, reports the American Association of University Professors, but the group says imbalances threaten the quality of higher education. STAND AND DELIVERMike O'Connell, an associate lecturer in English at two University of Wisconsin campuses, writes in praise of "the sage on the stage." FALLING IN LOVEThe new faculty member is just as wonderful as everyone predicted -- there's just the small matter of her degree. PEER REVIEW: The founder of a group formed to help Latina faculty members succeed at the University of Central Florida has just been denied tenure herself. ... A candidate for the presidency of West Virginia University has instead taken a job as president of the Law School Admission Council. ... The dean of Harvard University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, saying that she has accomplished as much as she can, announced that she would leave the job. ... And other comings and goings in academe. SYLLABUS: An online course offered by Bluefield College and Ferrum College takes students along the Appalachian Trail. 'TOXIC' ENVIRONMENT: The president of Missouri State University has threatened to shut down its social-work school, citing an external review that described the academic atmosphere as "toxic." FACULTY NOTES: A roundup of news. Research & BooksCALL IT BIOMONEYUniversities angle for support from both government and industry for research on turning crops into fuel. SAWING UP THE REFERENCE DESKLibrarians try to redefine a venerable feature of campus libraries for the digital age. CONFUCIUS, THE COMEBACK KIDChina's most revered philosopher, political figure, and educator, whose works permeated national life for centuries before being banned by the Communists, is enjoying a revival. GRAY MATTERSPatrick R. Hof, a professor of neuroscience at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, has painstakingly assembled an impressive research collection of animal brains. But he wants more, much more. READER, BEWAREWhat is the opposite of the Bible? Of Middlemarch? Of the Basic Writings of Nietzsche? Find out, from the Unsuggester. FAITH'S DNARecent books speculate on the biological underpinnings of our religious longings and beliefs, writes David P. Barash, a professor of psychology at the University of Washington. TOO TIMELY LESSONSThe late Robert C. Solomon's teachings on the philosophy of emotion might help us understand our grief over his death, writes Carlin Romano, a critic at large for The Chronicle. MAKING DANCE SINGMark Morris is among a select group of artists reimagining and reinvigorating the role of choreography in opera, writes Martha Ullman West, senior advisory editor at Dance magazine. FRONT BURNER: Winners and losers may emerge in the near term, says the U.N. panel on climate change, but eventually all countries will suffer negative effects from global warming. NOTA BENE: A professor of Spanish writes that the Franco regime, in its final years, inadvertently prompted a literary boom among Latin American authors. HOT TYPE: In a symposium in the American Journal of International Law, four scholars weigh in on the tribunals allowed under the Military Commissions Act of 2006. SECOND TIME AROUND: The Senate has voted loosen President Bush's restrictions on federal financing of stem-cell research, but by a tally short of the two-thirds majority necessary to overcome a veto promised by President Bush. Government & PoliticsTOUGH CHOICESNew Jersey's public colleges will receive more money from the state in the next fiscal year, but the governor has warned of hard times after that. 'A WINK AND A NOD'The expanding investigation into potential conflicts of interest in the student-loan industry has swept up more lenders and college financial-aid officials. CALL IT BIOMONEYUniversities angle for support from both government and industry for research on turning crops into fuel. 'A TEMPORARY BANDAGE': Retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor told an audience that she is not confident that her 2003 opinion upholding race-conscious college admissions will long have much sway. 'THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX': States looking to change their approaches to higher education have a new source of ideas in a report based on a six-year study. SECOND TIME AROUND: The Senate has voted loosen President Bush's restrictions on federal financing of stem-cell research, but by a tally short of the two-thirds majority necessary to overcome a veto promised by President Bush. UNREALISTIC PICTURES: Data reported under the Student Right-to-Know Act of 1990 are not useful measures of colleges' effectiveness, said some scholars at the American Educational Research Association's annual meeting. IN THE STATES: A roundup of higher-education news. Money & ManagementAN $88-MILLION EXPERIMENTA small group of community colleges, backed by the Lumina foundation, tries new ways to improve their graduation and transfer rates. 'A WINK AND A NOD'The expanding investigation into potential conflicts of interest in the student-loan industry has swept up more lenders and college financial-aid officials. MORE HEAT THAN LIGHTIn designing and applying their speech codes, colleges occasionally overreach. But FIRE exaggerates the scope of the problem to score its own political points, writes Jon B. Gould, an associate professor at George Mason University. SCYLLA AND CHARYBDISColleges are in legal jeopardy if they do too little or too much for students contemplating suicide. Courts must make statutory room for academe to manage such cases with wisdom and discretion, write Robert B. Smith and Dana L. Fleming, lawyers at Nelson, Kinder, Mosseau & Saturley. DEATH BY HOSTESSINGShe hadn't planned to scuttle her husband's quest for a presidency. Then again, she hadn't planned on becoming a first spouse. JUST ANOTHER GRAY RENTAL BUICKAt a conference for presidents, a relative newcomer sees himself in hundreds of barely distorted mirrors. DUELING DIRECTORS: Two former presidents of rival Michigan universities have joined the boards of competing media companies. ACADEMIC ATMOSPHERE: Students at the University of Virginia are upset that coveted housing on the historic Lawn is being offered to a vice president. $400-MILLION: A media tycoon and longtime benefactor has pledged to Columbia University the largest donation toward financial aid ever made to a college. PRIMING THE PUMPERS: The most successful higher-education fund raisers are allowed to focus attention on major donors and have more support staff, says a report. BILKED FROM WITHIN? An economist who was a professor at Charleston Southern University stands accused of cheating the university and other investors out of millions of dollars. CLIMATE-FRIENDLY GIFT: The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has pledged $100-million over five years to speed the development of energy technologies that can reduce the threat of global warming. PEER REVIEW: The founder of a group formed to help Latina faculty members succeed at the University of Central Florida has just been denied tenure herself. ... A candidate for the presidency of West Virginia University has instead taken a job as president of the Law School Admission Council. ... The dean of Harvard University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, saying that she has accomplished as much as she can, announced that she would leave the job. ... And other comings and goings in academe. 'NOT SOMETHING ONE CAN MEASURE': A letter urging college presidents to distance themselves from institutional rankings has prompted several leaders to renew their criticisms of U.S. News's annual guides. Information TechnologySAWING UP THE REFERENCE DESKLibrarians try to redefine a venerable feature of campus libraries for the digital age. SEARCH AND DESTROYThe Web never forgets what you'd just as soon leave behind. And in academe, you can be sure that the wrong people will tap the Web's memory at precisely the wrong moment, writes W.A. Pannapacker, an associate professor of English at Hope College. GUIDE TO 'ORPHAN WORKS': Federal law has left many books in copyright limbo, prompting Stanford University to open an online database that seeks to make it easier to identify their legal holders, if any. FROM FIRST TO SEVENTH: In terms of taking advantage of information technology, the United States is falling behind some European countries, says a report. NEW LEGAL GROUND: An imminent threat entitled a campus-network official to view the contents of a student's computer without a warrant, said a federal appeals court, but the case is seen as a step forward for privacy rights. Students'BIENVENIDOS A LA FAMILIA'In an effort to get diplomas into the hands of more students, some two-year colleges, particularly in Hispanic neighborhoods, are enlisting the aid of parents, spouses, and other family members. AN $88-MILLION EXPERIMENTA small group of community colleges, backed by the Lumina foundation, tries new ways to improve their graduation and transfer rates. WORDINESS A FACTOR: The College Board, owner of the SAT, has concluded that scores on the recently introduced essay-writing portion of the test are not linked to irrelevant traits like handwriting, as some critics have said. 20 COLLEGES IN A TEST RUN: The Educational Testing Service tries out an exit exam with which community-college business programs would assess what their graduating students have learned. 'NOT SOMETHING ONE CAN MEASURE': A letter urging college presidents to distance themselves from institutional rankings has prompted several leaders to renew their criticisms of U.S. News's annual guides. 'HOLISTIC' APPROACH: UCLA has reversed a decline in the share of black students admitted to its freshman class. AthleticsPLAYERS' ORDEAL ENDSNorth Carolina's attorney general has dropped all charges against three former members of Duke's lacrosse team who were accused of rape. TITLE IX AGREEMENT: Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania will reinstate three women's sports teams it cut last year and will spend $300,000 to support women's teams after complaints that it was violating federal rules on gender equity. SEXUAL COMMENTS ALLEGED: A federal appeals court has revived a harassment lawsuit against the highly successful coach of the women's soccer team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNITED AT RUTGERS: Rutgers officials joined the women's basketball team in expressing their disgust at vulgar remarks by the radio talk-show host Don Imus. InternationalCONFUCIUS, THE COMEBACK KIDChina's most revered philosopher, political figure, and educator, whose works permeated national life for centuries before being banned by the Communists, is enjoying a revival. WORLD BEAT: Academics from the United States and India arrange to work together to ensure high-quality engineering education. PLAYING CATCH-UP: The government of Russia has created a top tier of universities and business schools in an effort to regain global competitiveness. OUT OF COURT: The Supreme Court of India has ordered the state of Maharashtra to drop charges of 'provocation with intent to cause a riot' filed against an American academic author. CROSS-BORDER AGREEMENT: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation plans to open a university in India for students and faculty members from all eight member nations. LIBERALIZING INFLUENCE: Turkmenistan's new president is quickly overhauling higher education in the formerly repressive country. IN BRIEF: More higher-education news. Notes From AcademeGRAY MATTERSPatrick R. Hof, a professor of neuroscience at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, has painstakingly assembled an impressive research collection of animal brains. But he wants more, much more. The Chronicle ReviewFAITH'S DNARecent books speculate on the biological underpinnings of our religious longings and beliefs, writes David P. Barash, a professor of psychology at the University of Washington. STAND AND DELIVERMike O'Connell, an associate lecturer in English at two University of Wisconsin campuses, writes in praise of "the sage on the stage." SEARCH AND DESTROYThe Web never forgets what you'd just as soon leave behind. And in academe, you can be sure that the wrong people will tap the Web's memory at precisely the wrong moment, writes W.A. Pannapacker, an associate professor of English at Hope College. MORE HEAT THAN LIGHTIn designing and applying their speech codes, colleges occasionally overreach. But FIRE exaggerates the scope of the problem to score its own political points, writes Jon B. Gould, an associate professor at George Mason University. TOO TIMELY LESSONSThe late Robert C. Solomon's teachings on the philosophy of emotion might help us understand our grief over his death, writes Carlin Romano, a critic at large for The Chronicle. MAKING DANCE SINGMark Morris is among a select group of artists reimagining and reinvigorating the role of choreography in opera, writes Martha Ullman West, senior advisory editor at Dance magazine. LARGER THAN LIFEThe Great Wall of China embodies monumental aspirations. So does Chen Changfen's 40-year career of photographing it. SCYLLA AND CHARYBDISColleges are in legal jeopardy if they do too little or too much for students contemplating suicide. Courts must make statutory room for academe to manage such cases with wisdom and discretion, write Robert B. Smith and Dana L. Fleming, lawyers at Nelson, Kinder, Mosseau & Saturley. CRITICAL MASS: David Blankenhorn and The Future of Marriage. Letters to the EditorChronicle CareersFALLING IN LOVEThe new faculty member is just as wonderful as everyone predicted -- there's just the small matter of her degree. DEATH BY HOSTESSINGShe hadn't planned to scuttle her husband's quest for a presidency. Then again, she hadn't planned on becoming a first spouse. JUST ANOTHER GRAY RENTAL BUICKAt a conference for presidents, a relative newcomer sees himself in hundreds of barely distorted mirrors. 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