This book describes the history, structure and institutions of open and distance education in six countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the UK and the US. It discusses how open and distance education is evolving in a digital age to reflect the needs and circumstances of national higher education systems in these countries, and explores…

Technological innovation is driving fundamental changes in all aspects of our lives. This is especially true of digital content, as our use of e-books, downloadable music, streaming television and movies, and online social networks has exploded. However, the explosive growth in our use of digital content seems so far to have eluded many of the 50…

The nature and effects of Australian efforts to create and maintain quality higher education are examined, focusing on specific government initiatives and on international trends and influences. It is suggested that even the best quality assurance processes do not guarantee good results, and that quality is a complex phenomenon depending on an…

This article discusses one college administrator's experiences with accreditation at the departmental, institutional, and national level, as well as his experiences as the head of the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation. Examines the future of accreditation and self-regulation in higher education and possible strategies for improving the…

This book explores three major imperatives of American higher education in the decades ahead. First, colleges and universities must respond to six critical challenges: minority participation; financing quality education; replacing quality faculty; affordability; institutional ethics; and national competitiveness. Second, strong leadership is…

Upheaval in Australia's university system in recent years can be attributed in large part to two influences dating to 1987: accession of John Dawkins to the Ministry of Employment, Education, and Training and the advent of federal regulation of industrial relations in education, which has undermined the collegial decision-making tradition. (MSE)

The text of a statement by the board of trustees of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, concerning the federal role in higher education and the role of education in the nation's and the world's future, is presented. (MSE)

It is argued that rising costs and declining federal student loan programs highlight the key role of the in-school interest subsidy in educational finance. Six possible scenarios are outlined, each differentially balancing indirect/direct lending and government/private involvement. Professionals are urged to find a program that serves students, is…

Provides a progress report on the development process for the National Standards in Geography project. Discusses content and changes made in the fourth draft of the standards. Expresses disappointment in the comments of many geographic educators who criticized the standards for being too difficult or too lengthy. (CFR)

Resources for higher education over the last 40 years are reviewed, with special emphasis on the abundance of the 1980s and crisis of the 1990s. Trends in government support are examined, and ways in which individual institutions can measure the adequacy of their resources to pursue their policy goals are discussed. (Author/MSE)

This report discusses the govenment role in higher education in the United States, particularly in relation to the contribution the state and land-grant universities can make in providing answers to a number of seemingly intractable problems which the country must solve in order to maintain its economic and political position in the world. The…

Three methods of integrating family/student financial contributions into the financing of higher education in a number of European countries are described, and advantages and disadvantages, to student and government, are discussed. The plan recommended as most equitable and cost-effective would be an income-contingent plan for distributing student…

Since 1978, when the Middle Income Student Assistance Act was passed, federal, state, and institutional student financial aid developments have consistently expanded programs, eligibility, and benefits for students from middle and affluent family income backgrounds. Poverty-level students have experienced substantial declines in gift aid and…

In the school-college partnership movement state policy can play an important role in sustaining partnerships as part of an active general strategy for educational change. Individual institutions and communities cannot solve the social problems facing the nation without working in cooperation with a broad network of other agencies and communities.…

This monograph offers an overview of historical trends in the funding of special education programs, examines current issues, and considers directions for the future. After an introductory section, a section on historical perspectives notes trends in federal and state funding since 1975. A table shows the current funding formulas used by each…