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Student retention is one of the most important issues facing higher education today. With one-third of college students dropping out of school each year, it's a topic universities across the country have noticed, but few have found a workable solution to the problem. Admissions offices are already stretched to the breaking point, budgets are tight across the board, and developing and instituting a feasible student retention program can feel like an insurmountable challenge.

With numerous lenders no longer making student loans and others imposing stricter financial requirements, many colleges and universities may be tempted to offset anticipated enrollment declines with reduced spending for advertising, direct mail and other high-cost marketing programs.

Long lines, frustrated students, and tired staff-those are the stuff that campus bursar's offices are made of. Or are they?

"On the first day of classes, it would be like standing in Penn Station in rush hour," says Dan Maguffin, bursar at the Rensselear Polytechnic Institute (N.Y.), of the scene that he used to see outside his office. Four years after his arrival, things have certainly quieted down. "Now when you walk through, you would think it's a Sunday morning."

U.S. government and business leaders-from the National Academy of Sciences to the National Association of Manufacturers-have been sounding the alarm for greater innovation, as well as the education of the next generation of professionals who will help ensure the nation's prosperity, security and competitiveness.

I've been a part of the real-time collaboration segment of the online learning world for over 10 years. Early on, educators used to say, "Cool demo of that online collaboration stuff. But why do I need to use this again? I'm a teacher." And in the industry press, the broad adoption of real-time collaboration in education always seemed to be "5 years away." Recently I've noticed that perspectives are changing on that point.

Let's examine the conversation about real-time teaching over the Internet as if it were the first conversation I had about my digital camera with

The role of the campus library is changing, and that change is affecting both the services offered to students and faculty and the space available for collections. Libraries are no longer simply places for research, browsing, studying, and quiet contemplation. To accommodate academic requirements, students' rising expectations and changing information formats, libraries have added spaces such as video viewing rooms, language labs, writing and tutoring centers, meeting rooms and cafes.

In order to provide guidance to the academic and operational departments at your school and to maintain consistency throughout the institution and avoid possible discrimination charges, it is important to formulate or update an overall policy regarding the sponsorship of applications for permanent resident status (often referred to as "green cards") on behalf of foreign employees in the United States.

New policies should be developed or existing policies should be examined and revised in light of recent regulations published by the United States Department of Labor ("DOL").