Etc...

I'll give you the ring later

The roadway was clear and dry and the temperature about 50 degrees F. as passengers aboard a bus settled back for the routine trip from Fredrikstad, Norway, to Oslo last Friday. But although the ride doesn't take long, it was far from routine. In fact, the vehicle soon was rocking as the passengers erupted in repeated and raucous cele- brations. Why? Because driver Oeivind Martinsen switched on the loudspeaker system and - once he had everyone's attention - said into the microphone: "Right behind me is a fair-haired treasure. Jeannette, will you marry me?" Jeannette Johansen, who has been dating him for six months, accepted on the spot. Later, Martinsen explained to journalists that he'd vowed to try to make the moment memorable when he popped the question.

Running a university is a big job, so those who sit in chief executives' offices can expect to be well compensated. In its latest survey, The Chronicle of Higher Education found that even in this age of tight budgets, 17 chiefs of taxpayer-supported schools are making more than a half-million dollars each this academic year. The highest-paid public university presidents, their schools, and their compensation:

1. Mark Emmert $762,000 University of Washington
2. Carl Patton $722,350 Georgia State University
3. Mary Sue Coleman $677,500 University of Michigan
4. David Roselle $673,700 University of Delaware
5. Mark Yudof $651,400 University of Texas System
6. Michael Adams $637,966 University of Georgia
7. Richard McCormick $625,000 Rutgers University System
8. Mark Nordenberg $553,414 U. of Pittsburgh System