September 2006 - Posts

• State flagship universities do poorly in enrolling and graduating black men, report says

  Black men are underrepresented at institutions of higher learning over all, and even more so at flagship universities in the 50 states, says a report released on Wednesday by a national research center. (for subscribers) Read More... Posted Sep 28 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• Columbia U. to kick off $4-billion campaign, largest in higher-education history

  Columbia University is scheduled to announce today the public phase of a seven-year effort to raise $4-billion in private donations. The fund-raising campaign, which is the largest in higher-education history, started in 2004 and is expected to end in... Posted Sep 28 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• Federal agency sues U. of Phoenix, alleging discrimination against non-Mormon employees

  A federal agency that enforces U.S. civil-rights laws sued the University of Phoenix this week, accusing the mammoth for-profit university of religious discrimination against non-Mormon employees who work as student recruiters. (for subscribers) Read... Posted Sep 28 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• MIT and Harvard scientists develop database to match possible drug therapies with diseases

  A new database that matches drugs to illnesses based on how human genes respond to the medications may speed the discovery of new therapies. The Web-based tool, developed in a collaboration between two universities, has already revealed promising leads... Posted Sep 28 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• State Digest: Support for loan agency's sale in Missouri, and other news from the states

  Missouri's student-loan agency endorses the governor's plan to sell part of the agency's assets. South Dakota colleges may have to pay presidents' salaries without foundation support. For details, and more news from the states, see "State Digest." (for... Posted Sep 28 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• China reduces imprisoned scholar's sentence, raising hopes of early parole

  A Chinese court has approved a nine-month reduction in the sentence for a Western-educated academic convicted of stealing state secrets, a human-rights foundation announced on Tuesday. Xu Zerong, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2001, could... Posted Sep 28 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• As athletes' graduation rates rise, so do fears of academic shortcuts

  The percentage of college athletes who complete their degrees has gone up in the past year, according to a report released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association on Wednesday. A study found that 77 percent of Division I athletes were graduating... Posted Sep 27 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• Defense appropriations for basic research contain only slight cut in pork

  Members of Congress have pledged that this is the year they will finally "reform" the practice of "earmarking," the controversial, noncompetitive grants set aside by lawmakers for colleges and other constituents. But judging from the first appropriations... Posted Sep 27 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• Researchers call for major overhaul of medical education

  Today's medical students are inundated with more information than they can absorb, while their faculty trainers are distracted and overcommitted, according to an article in today's issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The article calls for a... Posted Sep 27 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• Former president of U. of Colorado, Elizabeth Hoffman, to become No. 2 official at Iowa State U.

  Elizabeth Hoffman, who resigned under fire last year as president of the University of Colorado System, was named to the No. 2 leadership post at Iowa State University on Wednesday. Ms. Hoffman, who was an economics professor and dean at Iowa State from... Posted Sep 27 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• U. of Phoenix buys naming rights to a pro-football stadium

  Following in the path of Enron, FedEx, and Reliant, the University of Phoenix has bought the naming rights to a National Football League stadium, it announced on Tuesday. It has made a $154-million, 20-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals. (for subscribers... Posted Sep 26 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• Secretary's proposals reassure some education leaders, disappoint others

  Education leaders and policy makers responded with expressions of relief, disappointment, and concern on Tuesday after the U.S. secretary of education, Margaret Spellings, announced her five-point "action plan" for the future of American higher education... Posted Sep 26 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• Vanderbilt U. increases oversight of chancellor's spending

  E. Gordon Gee, the highly paid chancellor credited with raising Vanderbilt University's fortunes and profile, will face much tougher oversight from the institution's governing board. The Board of Trust recently agreed to more closely monitor how much... Posted Sep 26 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• Duke health system to transfer $280-million for medical research and education

  Duke University's medical and nursing schools will get $280-million from the Duke University Health System for education and research, the university announced on Tuesday. The medical school's dean said the money would enable scientists to go beyond Read... Posted Sep 26 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News

• Colleges fail to teach civic literacy, report says

  American colleges and universities are failing to instill "civic literacy" in their students, according to a new report by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. The report is based on a large survey that found that college seniors lack basic knowledge... Posted Sep 26 2006, 07:00 PM by Chronicle.com - Today's News