The evolution of the two-sector theory of public and private colleges in the American system of higher education is discussed. The analysis covcrs developments from the colonial period to the present. The granting of a charter to the college and creation of a board of trustees were critical moves that signified the mixed public/private nature of…

A map of the field of higher education at the state level is presented that defines theoretical and conceptual frameworks, approaches to analysis, research designs, and methodologies that have been used in the study of the relationships between state governments and institutions of higher education or of state policy structures and processes.…

Recommendations of six state reports that addressed issues confronting state governments and public higher education in the last 2 decades, as well as some new issues, are considered using content analysis. The reports were prepared by formal study commissions in the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, and New York. In…

This paper explores the state role in enhancing teaching and learning in colleges and universities particularly focusing on the relatively recent attempts by states to increase attention to quality and to initiate activities to define, measure, and fund quality in education. The paper begins by exploring the growing state interest in quality, the…