The purpose of this series is to bring together the main currents in today's higher education and examine such crucial issues as the changing nature of education in the U.S., the considerable adjustment demanded of institutions, administrators, the faculty; the role of Catholic education; the remarkable growth of higher education in Latin America, contemporary educational concerns in Europe, and more. Among the many specific questions examined in individual articles are: Is it true that women are subtly changing the academic profession? How is power concentrated in academic organizations? How successful are Latin America's private universities? What is the correlation between higher education and employment in Spain? Is minority graduate education in the U.S. producing the desired results?

Theater is, first and foremost, a visual art; Looking Into the Abyss examines the ways in which the visual theater affects our understanding of the dramatic event. Arnold Aronson, an internationally prominent historian and theorist of theater set design, opens with an overview of scenographic concepts, including postmodern design and the use of new media in the theater, and continues with analyses of the work of specific designers (including Richard Foreman and David Rockwell) and scenographic responses to playwrights like Chekhov and Tony Kushner. These essays serve to open a dialogue that will bring the physical aspect of theater back into its proper place: an element as integral to the performance as the spoken word, and they will inspire theater-goers to become more aware of their role as seers of the theater.

Arnold Aronson is Professor of Theater, Columbia University. He is author of "American Avant-Garde Theatre: A History"; "Architect of Dreams: The Theatrical Vision of Joseph Urban"; "American Set Design"; and "The History and Theory of Environmental Scenography,"

Phil and Carol Arnold signed up to be Peace Corps volunteers after long and satisfying careers with the federal government. Peace Corps assigned them to Ukraine to serve as English teachers in one of the most charming cities in Eastern Europe - Sevastopol on the Southern tip of the Crimean Peninsula. In this collection of essays, journal entries, and correspondence, Phil and Carol paint a compelling picture of day-to-day life as Peace Corps volunteers serving as English teachers. Their personal motto - "Just say yes" yes to every offer of hospitality, yes to each invitation no matter how tired they were or how seemingly boring or unfamiliar the activity - led to many rich and rewarding experiences. In these pages, you will read about the Peace Corps experience from the perspective of someone more than 30 years older than the typical volunteer. You will experience the naivete and frustrations of trying to blend into a new culture, the stress of learning a new language, and the satisfaction of ending a two-year service commitment with many new friends and a job well and meaningfully done.