CAMPUS ON TV: The University of California at Davis has signed a contract with the local public television station that calls for weekday news reports from the campus. The one-minute segments will be aired three times a day Monday through Friday, including during the prime-time hours of 6 to 11 p.m. In addition, the station will produce 25 15-second promotional spots for the university and air them at least 880 times throughout the year. UC Davis is paying the station $150,000 for the year, with two-thirds of the cost being picked up by campus units featured in the promotional spots.

SERVICE LEARNING: The University of Michigan has launched a Center for Learning Through Community Service. The center was established to engage students and faculty in community service and academic learning in order to promote civic participation, build community capacity and enhance the educational process. The center has its own building and houses several service programs.

BIKES AT DAVIS: The University of California at Davis is an especially friendly environment for bicycles; the campus newspaper reports it is one of only three universities in the country that have full-time bike coordinators. The bike coordinator gives talks on bike safety, teaches effective cycling courses and promotes bicycle events. Davis requires its campus bicyclists to acquire state bike registrations, with the result that it has a 20 to 30 percent recovery rate for stolen bicycles.

COMMUNICATING PHARMACISTS: Deciding that one of the pharmacist's most important skills is communication, the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin has instituted a required "experiential clerkship" for its students. Students are paired with people in the community who have special social, medical or physical challenges. The students meet with their people once a week and help them with whatever they need. The course is designed to improve students' communication skills and increase their awareness of different needs patients may have.

NEW DEGREES: The University of California at Davis has launched three new degree programs. The Bachelor of Science in Viticulture and Enology is the only one of its kind in the United States, but compares to programs in other countries. Students in the program will be learning about the vineyard and the winery, and may specialize in several areas. The Master's of Science and Doctorate of Philosophy in Transportation Technology and Policy offer two different tracks: the technology track concentrates on vehicle propulsion, advanced technologies and intelligent transportation systems; the public policy track is concerned with planning and broader policy issues. The Master of Laws is designed to focus on international and comparative law. All three new degree programs were launched this year.

TUITION WAIVER: Teaching assistants at the University of Wisconsin won an in-state tuition waiver as part of their new contract. TAs at Wisconsin are represented by a union. In the past, Wisconsin has offered its TAs a much higher salary than comparable institutions in order to make up for the lack of tuition waiver. Now those salaries will be reduced. ¶