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The paper presents the findings of a survey showing that higher education in the United States has made progress in implementing retention programs and policies since the late 1980s. However, the findings suggest that institutions still have a way to go in making larger-scale, institution-wide changes that will aid student persistence. The study found that less than 52 percent of responding institutions have identified a person on campus responsible for coordinating retention efforts. Less than 48 percent of the institutions have established a goal to improve first-to-second-year persistence. About a third have established a goal for improved degree completion. Institutions can start by having a more accurate view of incoming students' academic preparation and skills. INSET: 'What's Working' Recommendations.

College and university administrators have a new tool to use while addressing the problem of unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing of copyrighted music, movies, software, and other digital copyrighted content. On March 26, the American Council on Education and the Education Task Force of the Joint Committee of the Higher Education and Entertainment Communities, began distribution of the paper "University Policies and Practices Addressing Improper Peer-to-Peer File Sharing." This paper is intended to provide college and university administrators with a variety of examples of actions colleges and universities which are taking to address the problem of unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing.

Reports on developments in distance education institutions in the U.S. Development of an Online Course Evaluation Project by Monterey Institute of Technology and Education in California; Launch of Web-based materials, streaming videos, and a facilitator's guide by the faculty at Syracuse University in New York; Plan of the University of Dayton to develop a certification program incorporating the paper Computer Ethics 101.

In this article, the author discusses the role of families and students in regard to the financial aid given by them for the future of higher education. The author refers to an paper that was published in the June 6, 2005 issue of the newspaper "The New York Times," which gives details of how changes to the federal formula have increased the amount that students and families must contribute toward college expenses before they are eligible for financial aid. The changes to the federal financial aid formula coincided ironically with General Motors Corp.'s introduction of its "GM Employee Discount" promotion. In this promotion, the failing automaker is offering a discount to all its customers equal to that given to its employees, dearly hoping to drive a few more consumers to commit to a five-figure purchase.

The paper presents several reports related to recruitment and retention in higher education. "Latino Students and the Educational Pipeline: Pathways to the Bachelor's Degree for Latino Students," a report from the nonprofit group Educational Policy Institute, examines differences in the college persistence rates of Latino students and white students. Four reports from the Center for Institutional and International Initiatives at the American Council on Education (ACE) explore internationalization efforts at American colleges and universities. A survey by the American Council on Education reports that while American postsecondary institutions have made progress in serving low-income adult students, they could be doing more.