This report is a collection of five state case studies comprising a major component of the first phase of the project, "Changing Direction: Integrating Higher Education Financial Aid and Financing Policies." The project explored state-level strategies to better align financing and financial aid policies and support more informed decision…

"The 2009 Legislative Briefing" is a topical summary of actions during the 2009 legislative sessions that affect education in the 16 SREB states. Topics include: state budgets and the economy; tax and revenue; teacher and faculty pay raises; retirement systems; issues affecting teachers and education leaders; health and safety;…

Texas, California, and Florida are implementing versions of a percent plan in college admissions. This report assesses these plans using data from published information on the plans; state- and institution-calculated higher education application, admission, and enrollment data; media accounts of social and political contexts surrounding the plans;…

Every state in the union has "sunshine" laws that apply to public higher education, and the leaders of public institutions deal directly or indirectly with these laws almost daily. Sunshine statutes go to the very heart of institutional functioning, influencing presidential searches and selection, board deliberations, research and…

Enrollment in distance and technology mediated instruction has seen strong growth at Florida's public universities over the past six years, closely following the growth in overall student enrollment up to 2002-03. This document includes: (1) a bulleted list of key growth indicators; (2) a chart that compares distance education enrollment with…

This report examines trends in enrollment, degrees awarded, and other selected data from Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) accountability reports published between 1996 and 2001. Were data were available, comparisons were made for Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the State University System of Florida (SUS). Information…

This report presents the results of a review of course withdrawal and forgiveness policies at public community colleges and state universities in Florida, with a view toward standardizing such policies that impact articulation, the transfer of credit, and credit-hours-to-degree. It recommends that: (1) forgiveness, withdrawal, and incomplete…

A report on the feasibility of forming a single public four-year institution with multiple campuses to enhance public educational services in Southeast Florida is presented. Specifically of concern was the desirability of merging Florida International University (FIU) and Florida Atlantic University (FAU). The objective was to develop a structure…

This essay examines the higher education challenges facing the state of Florida in the coming decades, focusing on solutions to demographic, economic, and social issues that may be applicable to other states as well. The state's population has increased substantially since 1950 and continues to increase at a high rate, placing significant demands…

Summaries of the design, planning, and implementation of performance funding programs in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington reveal the challenges and opportunities of this reform approach. Performance measures and objectives and the history of the program in each…

Performance indicators used for state funding, past and present, of public colleges in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington are reviewed to explore their intent and implications and to provide information for policymakers considering introducing or revising…

Reports on plans for new "race-blind" entrance criteria at the 10 public universities in Florida. Plans call for ending racial preferences in graduate education altogether and replacing undergraduate preferences with a guarantee of admission to a state university for the top 20 percent of Florida high school graduates. Critics and…

This article presents the results of "The Status of Race Equity and Diversity in Public Higher Education in the South," an analysis of trends in admissions, enrollment and completion at public colleges and universities in the 19 Southern and border states that maintained segregated systems of higher education in 1954. While work on the…

This information brief highlights the graduation rates for full-time first-time-in-college students in Florida's State University System (SUS) institutions as well above the national average for public four-year colleges, based on early release data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Of those who entered the SUS as…

A 1996 survey of state policymakers and public college representatives in states with performance funding (Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee) is presented. Although differences exist across states in a number of areas, findings challenge the assumption of an irreconcilable gap between…