Editor's Note

EVERY MONTH, IT SEEMS, WE HEAR OF ANOTHER institution deciding to make the SAT an optional part of the admissions process. Other schools combine SAT scores with a student's high school records to get a more rounded picture. Still other colleges have decided to eliminate the test altogether.

AS I WRITE THIS, OIL IS AT $135 A BARREL; gas pump prices have topped $4 almost everywhere. Some airlines are charging a $15 fee for the first checked bag-on top of a $25 fee for checking a second bag-to help offset fuel costs.

WENDY GONAVER LOST HER TEACHING job at <b>California State University, Fullerton</b> in May because she refused to sign a state-mandated loyalty oath for all state employees. Gonaver, a practicing Quaker and pacifist, believes the oath is an infringement on her religious beliefs and her rights to free speech.

IN MID-APRIL, AMONG THE HUNDREDS OF articles that recognized the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech tragedy, one particular headline on CNN's website caught my attention. "Students Want Chance to Defend Themselves," it read.

TIS THE SEASON FOR ANNUAL TECHNOLOGY surveys, so let's take a look at what CIOs and IT directors around the country are reporting. According to CDW-G, in its third annual "Higher Education IT Security Report Card" (available at www.cdwg.com/higheredsecurity):