In Brief: College Student Dies After Fall From Bluff, Los Angeles Times
A San Francisco State University student who fell from a coastal bluff during a recent team-building hike along the Marin Headlands died Tuesday.

SFSU freshman dies of injuries suffered in fall, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Tuesday morning a promising 17-year-old San Francisco State University freshman died at Stanford Medical Center of injuries sustained Friday when he fell from a cliff into the Pacific Ocean during a hike in the Marin Headlands.

Waivers in the red, Fresno Bee
Fresno State suspends program that discounts fees for those 60 and older.

Student leaders briefed: campus cops to carry Tasers, Chico Enterprise-Record
Top-of-the- line technology is hardly a rare thing at Chico State University, but this week the campus police went out of their way to advise students of a newly acquired device designed to literally stop the miscreant or the dangerous in his or her tracks.

CSUC students asked to skip Labor Day tradition, Chico Enterprise-Record
Student leaders at Chico State University are trying to send the message that tubing on the Sacramento River is a good thing to do, but not on Labor Day.

UCSC astronomer credited with two planet’s discovery, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Two new planets about 20 times the size of Earth have been discovered beyond the solar system by astronomers, including a planet-hunter from UC Santa Cruz, who made their findings public Tuesday.

Chapman wraps its books in a new cover, Orange County Register
When students return today they'll find a radically changed campus, including a gleaming new library with a coffee bar.

Minorities surge in SAT tests Minorities get better SAT scores, San Francisco Chronicle
More African American, American Indian, Mexican American and other Latino students in California are taking the SAT I college admissions exam and are improving their scores, even though they still lag far behind white and Asian American students, according to data released Tuesday.

64% of schools meet federal testing goals, Sacramento Bee
Despite state's progress, critics slam No Child Left Behind rules.

Slight SAT gain in state, Sacramento Bee
A new version of the test - with a writing section - will debut next spring.

Phoenix Schools purchased by Arizona firm, Sacramento Bee
An Arizona education company has purchased Sacramento-based The Phoenix Schools, the largest privately owned preschool and elementary school chain in California, officials of the Arizona company announced Tuesday.

O.C. Trustee's Pending Retirement to Be Debated, Los Angeles Times
Ruiz can reap a larger pension if he exits Coast Community, counseling job on the same day.

Undergrads Use Summer to Make Waves in Research, Los Angeles Times
More than 500 students go to Caltech to work with top scholars and explore scientific ideas.

SAT Verbal Scores Rise in State, Math Stays the Same, Los Angeles Times
Nationally, men outpace women while Native Americans and Latinos show small gains.

Three state colleges require students to own laptops this fall, Boston Herald/AP
Three state colleges are requiring new students to own laptop computers this fall under an initiative that will spread to other schools in coming years.

SAT scores unchanged compared to a year ago, USA Today/AP
SAT scores for the high school class of 2004 were mostly the same as a year ago, though scores for some minority groups showed an encouraging increase.

Behind Top Student's Heartbreak, Illegal Immigrants' Nightmare, New York Times
Angela is an undocumented immigrant, and under federal law, state university systems have been financially pressured not to provide affordable resident tuition to such applicants.

As Anxiety Grows, So Does Field of Terror Study, New York Times
Motivated by the terror attacks of 9/11, colleges have rushed to create counterterrorism and homeland security courses, and thousands of students in New York and elsewhere are pursuing degrees in that area, making disaster one of the fastest-growing fields in academia.

Editorial: Olympic Bulldogs, Fresno Bee
Observers of the 2004 Olympic Games couldn't help but marvel at the skills and determination that set these two former Fresno State athletes, and all of the participants who competed in Athens, apart from others in their respective sports.

Dan Walters: Gov. Schwarzenegger: Big speech, but low-key presence, Sacramento Bee
In the absence of real news, the legions of broadcast and print journalists covering the convention have almost desperately seized on the California governor's relatively low-key appearances here as raw material for reportage and analysis.

Peter Schrag: Stem cells, slick sells and other political soft soap, Sacramento Bee
Proposition 71, the initiative on the November ballot authorizing $3 billion in bonds for stem cell research, bids fair to win the chutzpah prize in ballot box budgeting.

Editorial: Test incentive program needs firm commitment, Modesto Bee
Modesto City Schools was forced to postpone any consequences associated with its test incentive program, but not before receiving a strong sign that it is working.

Christmas in August for Lawmakers, Los Angeles Times
As state legislators were dealing with hundreds of bills, drug makers, car dealers and other interests gave $2 million to their campaigns.

A quiet exit for Sen. Johnson, Orange County Register
Irvine Republican who has served in Legislature for 26 years is termed out.

NOTE: For additional political coverage, visit the Rough & Tumble website.

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