A bold plan to turn UW into a Stanford died a quiet death

State universities have clumsy and stingy masters in state capitols. Is it time for divorce court? Here's the story of how some people advising the University of Washington looked at such a scheme.

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How we fare in the quest for academic pork

The respected Chronicle of Higher Education has just published a new report on the scramble for academic earmarks. A surprise, considering how well the University of Washington does in federally funded research and how well placed Sen. Patty Murray is: The UW is not among the leading porkers.

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Can't afford UW? Better go to Stanford

Stanford University has announced, in keeping up with the Harvards, that parents earning less than $100,000 will no longer pay tuition. Families earning below $60,000 don't have to pay for room and board. (Total for a year at Stanford, including meals and lodging, is now $47,200.) Pretty sweet deal for the next generation of the elite. The story, lovingly treated by the major national papers, recalls to me a conversation I had with the distinguished American historian Richard White, who was at the time just announcing his departing from U.W. to go teach at Stanford. One reason, he told me, was the greater student diversity, and lower median family income, at Stanford.

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Northwest mega-donors were a little stingy last year

Slate.com is out with its annual list of the top 60 American philanthropists, and there's a surprise for the mega-wealthy Northwest. Only one person from the region makes the list, Phil Knight, the Nike CEO, who comes in 16th of the top 60 for his $100 million gift to the University of Oregon. That's it. No Bill Gates this year, though he's often led the list. Nor does any Washington institution figure as recipient of a large gift.

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In research sweepstakes, top private universities are lapping the publics

In announcing the big salary increase for University of Washington President Mark Emmert, making him the top-paid president of public universities, UW Regents pointed out that Emmert could make a lot more as a CEO of a private company. Doubtless true, but a fascinating story in Businessweek points to a bigger threat to retaining Emmert and keeping the UW's research edge. The story's title explains it well: "The Dangerous Wealth of the Ivy League."

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Filling a void in the Northwest, Oregon will offer a product-design degree

With all of the innovative companies headquartered here, it's about time a university started training the region's own students in the fine art of making a product work well and look good.

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Standing up to the big mag on campus

Several Northwest colleges, including the University of Washington, did well in the imperfect annual ranking by U.S. News and World Report, but there's a revolt brewing, and Reed College is a leading dissenter.

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The Pacifist Northwest: We're the nation's volunteer factory

Washington and Oregon colleges and universities lead the nation in supplying Peace Corps volunteers, with the University of Washington No. 1. With that and other factors in mind, it's time for the congressional delegations to work to get the planned U.S. Public Service Academy sited here.

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