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Maybe I shouldn't be writing now. I have always been told not to go food shopping when I am hungry, or swim right after eating, or take action when upset. I am upset. But then is writing really action? Just for my fingers I think. So I will let my fingers do the squawking and write this while distraught. Besides, I don't want to lose the immediacy of the moment.

At Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas, the importance of enhancing e-learning services was heightened after the devastating effects of Hurricane Rita, which hit the Houston and Beaumont areas in September 2005. To date, the university has spent more than $30 million in recovery efforts. Approximately 85 percent of the buildings on campus had some type of damage, which forced administrators to consider additional methods of service delivery. As administrators and faculty began to examine ways to enhance e-learning, they realized the potential benefits outside the classroom.

Harvard Names First Woman President

<a href='http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/02/11/harvard.president.ap/index.html'>CNN.com/Associated Press</a>

When it comes to sustainability efforts on a campus, having a vision is certainly a must. But it's the campus community that makes it all happen.

Ruth Abramson, communications manager in the University of British Columbia Sustainability Office, says the institution's achievements in this area "are the result of thousands of UBC students, staff, and faculty actively demonstrating their commitment to sustainability."

A rise in identity theft is presenting employers with a major headache. They are being held liable for identity theft that occurs in the workplace.

Identity theft is the misuse or fraudulent use of an individual's personal information. Unfortunately for employers, personal data, such as Social Security and bank account numbers, is precisely what is contained in HR personnel files. These files can be goldmines for ID thieves.

We live in an era of great uncertainty for many in our workforce. At this moment, entire industries are being impacted by technological advances and the emergence of low-cost labor markets. Traditionally "safe" entry-level careers such as customer service, call center, and back office processing are ceasing to exist with the exception of specialized niche markets, where high-level skills and proximity to the client are important.

Today's universities are enterprises in the true business sense. Perhaps more than commercial organizations, the actions, plans, and management of universities come under the microscope of alumnae, donors, trustees, parents, activists, and the press. This scrutiny underscores the need for tools and methodologies that facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing and oversight among the various work groups and communities within universities.

Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters, the ongoing threats of terrorism, and the auditing profession's increased emphasis on business continuity planning have captured the attention of higher education executives. Most now realize that they ought to be doing business continuity planning; most, however, are not sure where to begin. George Mason University (Va.) has developed an executive-level Enterprise Executive Risk Management Group (EERMG) to build the organization's business continuity plans and capacity.