Founded by the federal government in 1966 as an educational research documentation network, the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) has evolved in both scope and philosophy over the past years. This publication is a tribute to the ERIC program as it enters its fourth decade. The contents, which were chosen to chronicle the progress of…

Historical perspectives concerning accreditation in postsecondary education, the structure of accreditation, and possible future roles for the process are examined. It is suggested that the interplay of four groups provides a basis to consider the possible future in the field of accreditation. These groups are: state government responsibilities…

Literature concerning the relationship between higher education and politics is reviewed. Attention is directed to federal, state, and local levels of government and to institutional politics. Federal involvement in higher education, governmental regulation, higher education lobbying, and the emergence of the new Department of Education are…

Federal action that has influenced, either directly or indirectly, the curriculum of higher education is examined. The purpose is to better comprehend the process by which educational policy decisions are reached by the government and what institutions of higher education have to do with this process. A review of recent federal funding programs in…