Student life

We've all heard the clichéd description of college as "the best years of your life." For those of us whose undergraduate years are a distant memory, the idea may seem ludicrous -- or, at least, too demoralizing to entertain -- but there's no denying that college students tend to enjoy an unusually high ratio of freedom to responsibility, and that many high schoolers come to anticipate a positively Elysian experience.

As some colleges face bedbug infestations in dormitories, many others consider ways to prevent such outbreaks.

An attempt to discourage social media use at Harrisburg U. runs up against students and faculty determined to get their fix.

The world of academe is generally considered a marketplace of ideas. But its customers may do more one-stop shopping than browsing the aisles.

Campus constituencies across the country are skeptical of their institutions’ emphasis on -- and consideration of -- diverse viewpoints both in the classroom and on campus generally, according to a report released Thursday by the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

U. of Florida considers giving incoming students option of taking classes during spring and summer terms only — throughout their time at the university.

Without clarity from the Obama administration, campus officials are unsure of whether or how their insurance offerings will survive.

ST. LOUIS -- Many high schools have policies under which, if a student is cited for a disciplinary infraction as a freshman or sophomore, and isn’t a repeat offender, that infraction is expunged from the student’s record at the end of the sophomore year. What that means is that for two students who commit the same infraction -- even a serious one -- there is no assurance that colleges that seek disciplinary records during the admissions process will know about it.

This semester, Wesleyan University administrators modified the student Code of Non-Academic Conduct to ban the “misuse or abuse” of prescription drugs. This inclusion is not unusual; many colleges, including Wesleyan’s peer institutions, ban prescription drug abuse in their student codes. But the case of Wesleyan is an anomaly because of the ban’s origins.

In what appears to be the first decision of its kind, a Canadian court has ruled that universities can be considered government entities and their actions government actions, at least when it comes to their dealings with students. This is important because it means that the institutions can be held legally liable if they violate the rights of students.

Ramapo College bans potent and inexpensive alcoholic energy drinks, illustrating increasingly widespread concern about the beverages' popularity among students.