September 2, 1999

Unext.com, start-up company, plans to deliver executive training and, eventually, full MBA program over Internet; it calls its virtual school Cardean University; plan has attracted attention because of elite universities it has brought on board; plan is for Unext.com to produce, market and distribute courses; universities will provide curriculum and impressive credentials, without risking their endowments on untried technology; some of them expect their own campuses to earn at least $20 million in royalties from Unext.com within five to eight years; until now, virtual universities have not succeeded; critics say Unext.com's partnership could damage universities' academic credibility, and that quality associated with getting degree from those schools cannot be replicated on Internet; American Assn of University Professors asks questions about teaching quality in distance education courses; listing of universities involved in Unext.com venture; photo (M)

Umpires Lose Jobs In a settlement, the umpires' union failed to retain the jobs of 22 umpires, although those umpires will be paid for the rest of the year. PAGE D1

House Proud column on restoration of interior of North Shore, Long Island, home of Carol and Millard Prisant which was designed in 1862 by Staten Island architect, Frederick S Copley; photos (M)

Unrenovated apartments, once considered handyman's specials and bargains, have risen to top of New York City's booming real estate marketplace; phenomenon attributed to general shortage of good apartments in any condition, as well as rediscovery of 'the charm of the old'; photos (M)

The start of Amtrak's 150-mile-an-hour express service between Washington and Boston will be delayed several months because vibrations at high speeds are causing the wheels on the passenger coaches to wear out too quickly. Amtrak is counting on the high-speed train to lure business from airlines. Article, page A18.